The Hindu Business Line : Centre awaiting land acquisition rehab package details from States

THE FINLAND President, Ms Tarja Halonen, and the Minister for Commerce and Industry, Mr Kamal Nath, during a meeting with businessmen, in the Capital on Tuesday. — Kamal Narang

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New Delhi Jan. 23 The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Mr Kamal Nath, on Tuesday said that the UnionGovernment was awaiting the land acquisition rehabilitation package from the State Governments for farmers whose land is acquired for creation of SEZs. He also ruled out placing any cap on the number of SEZs.

Speaking to newspersons during a meeting with the President of Finland, Ms Tarja Halonen, jointly organised by Assocham, CII and FICCI, Mr Nath said that the Union Government had already asked the Chief Ministers to submit a land acquisition package to the Group of Ministers (GoM) on SEZs.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and other relevant departments will consider the rehabilitation package so that more than adequate compensation is paid to farmers whose land is acquired for SEZ purposes, the Minister said.

The GoM would again meet shortly and deliberate on the land rehabilitation package with due consultation with State Governments concerned, said Mr Nath.

Earlier, speaking on Indo-Finnish Economic Trade, Mr Nath said that the trade balance was currently in favour of Finland and in due course of time, India's trade engagements would mount substantially with Finland.

The Minister sought the support of Finland for the Doha developmental round on WTO, urging it to support India and its stand on agricultural subsidies, as this round has to be concluded successfully to ensure that trade flows increase between developing world to developed world.

During the meeting, Ms Halonen offered Finland's complete support to India in the forthcoming developmental rounds of WTO, hoping that these will reach the logical end to ensure sustainable social and environmental development of both developed and developing world.

India, she said, was one of the key partners in WTO and will play a very significant role in the next WTO negotiations with necessary Finland support and both India and Finland would come closer to forge their partnership in the field of education, environment and knowledge to make quality products.

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