The Hindu Business Line : Setback for Videocon SEZ plan

Pune/Mumbai, Nov. 6 Videocon Group’s plans to promote a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Pune suffered a setback, with the Maharashtra Government staying the land acquisition process. This comes in the wake of the opposition from farmers in surrounding villages to sell their land holdings to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), for the SEZ.

The Government is expected to take a final decision on the issue of scrapping land allotment in consultation with the Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, and the Videocon management after Diwali.

Confirming this, the State Industries Minister, Mr Ashok Chavan, on Tuesday said that since Videocon had been invited to set up the SEZ and had also signed a MoU with the State Government, the company’s affirmation on an alternative site would have to be sought.

Opposition had been brewing from farmers in the villages of Wagholi, Bakori, Lonikand and Kesnand to selling 5,000 acres to MIDC for some time now.

They had also protested when MIDC’s name appeared on the land record documents without their knowledge earlier this year.

The farmers had approached Mr Pawar to help resolve the issue.

The State Government had notified 1,940 hectares of land near Pune, of which 1,000 ha was for the SEZ and the remaining 940 ha for use by MIDC. The stay is for the entire land extent.

Mr Sharad Pawar, addressing a rally at Wagholi on Tuesday, said the land acquisition process was being stayed. He hoped that MIDC’s name would be deleted from land documents and that of the farmer-owner restored. He, however, did not set any deadline for that.

New committee

Mr Pawar also stated that a Cabinet-level committee comprising the Union Finance, Commerce and Urban Development ministers, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, and headed by him,had been formed.

When contacted, a spokesman of Videocon said the company had no comments to offer on the issue.

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