The Hindu Business Line : Set aside SEZ Act, says social activist

Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of the 17th all-India conference of Corporation Bank Officers’ Organisation (CBOO) on Sunday, Ms Roy said that any policy that is formulated by the Government which affects large number of people and the sovereignty of the country and done without consultation of people is totally unacceptable.

“The whole SEZ Act must be set aside. That is what we believe,” she added.

She stressed the need for public debate before the formulation of any policy.

“In Rajasthan, we want to fight not only against SEZ policy but also against State policies.”

In Rajasthan, the State Government wants to acquire 66 lakh hectares of wasteland.

Officials have been given powers to acquire land, setting aside the role political parties and people in such matters.

In this regard, the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan (of which Ms Roy is a member) will conduct a ‘Jan Manch’ campaign from August 21-26 at Jaipur to discuss four issues related to people, including land acquisition for SEZs and for jatropha cultivation.

Earlier, inaugurating the CBOO conference, Ms Roy said that the Right to Information Act was not only about corruption, but also about the lack of accountability of the Government to its people on its policies.

Mr T.R. Bhat, CBOO President, said that the banking sector has seen several changes in the past few years, and will see many more in the years to come.

In such a situation, the Independent Commission of Banking and Financial Policy (constituted by AIBOC) had released its report in November last year.

The commission had prepared a blueprint for an ‘Alternative Banking Policy,’ he said.

He added that the time had come for them to critically review their role in the banking sector.

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