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S. Shanker
Rahul Wadke

`Legitimate grievances will be addressed'

Mumbai May 12 The Maharashtra Industries Minister, Mr Ashok Chavan, and senior government officials sought to downplay the farmer protest near Pune against Videocon SEZ and said they had not been informed of any such agitation.

Pleading ignorance of the happenings, Mr Chavan said he was sure the local law and order machinery would have taken appropriate measures to ensure normality in the area.

"If the villagers have a legitimate grievances the State Government would look into it," he added.

A top Government official said things are being blown out of proportion at least by a section of the Press and that he was not aware of any problem, and that neither the Collector nor anybody had reported anything about the Videocon SEZ.

The land was notified for Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and things are going normal — just as any other acquisition. Every time MIDC goes in for acquisition, there is a demand from people.

MIDC package has always been very good, he said.

"There is concern for farmers all over the country and Nandigram has brought their issue to the forefront. MIDC stand has always been to offer market price or `ready reckoner', whichever is higher," he said.

The Pune protest is not an isolated incident. Discontent has been brewing in Sangli District against Suzlon's wind farms.

Suzlon issue

Things turned for the worse a couple of weeks back amid protests from the farmer community demanding a better package for the lands they had leased out to the company and subsequently 44 turbines were shut down.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. R.R. Patil, and the Minister for Non-Conventional Energy, Mr Vinay Kore, had to intervene to sort out the stand off.

Reliance SEZ in the State too has been facing farmer opposition.

This apart, the Union Government on Wednesday deferred a decision on its approval, while clearing 17 others, including those of Suzlon and Vedanta.

Issues regarding construction of road and railway track in the SEZ is said to be the cause for the Government not approving Reliance's proposal.

More Stories on : Real Estate & Construction | Infrastructure | Maharashtra

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