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Even as the Maharashtra Government unveiled its new industrial policy on Thursday, some of the policy measures about Special Economic Zones (SEZs) remain open-ended, drawing fire from activists and a section of Government officers.
Anti-SEZ activists have alleged that the policy would ensure windfall gains to the real estate lobby.
As the SEZs are not in demand due to global recession and new taxes introduced by the centre, SEZ developers are not very keen to develop these zones and some are considering de-notifying these zones and converting them into regular industrial, commercial and residential areas.
In the new policy, major changes have been brought about in land issues. Private companies that have acquired land directly from the farmers as also land acquired by private parties in a joint venture with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) have now been allowed to be converted into an integrated industrial area, according to the new norms as laid down by the policy.
The industry policy has held that 60 per cent of land would be reserved for industrial activity, while the rest could be utilised for residential and commercial exploitation.
This policy would be applicable to 134 SEZs projects in the State, with an effective area spanning around 13,000 hectares, of which about 1,500 hectares is prime land close to Mumbai city.
‘Land grab’
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan, while addressing the media on Thursday, said that in the original SEZ policy of the Centre, only 50 per cent of the area was mandatory for industrial development. In the new policy however, the number has increased to 60 per cent, while the rest would be for other development like residential colonies and commercial buildings.
On questioned by the media whether the residential area would only be meant for people working in the industrial area, or would it be sold in the open market, Chavan refused to give a clear answer. He said that such things were a matter of ‘rules’ and not a matter of ‘policy’.
In the original SEZ policy, 50 per cent of the area is for industrial activity and the rest for providing amenities for people who are staying in that area.
Prominent anti-SEZ activist Ulka Mahajan said that the SEZ projects are nothing but a land grab venture for the real estate lobby. The new policy measures would provide land to the builders through the back door, she alleged.
A senior Maharashtra Government official who was earlier in charge of the land acquisition cell at MIDC said that farmers whose land were taken over for various SEZ projects were the biggest sufferers because they lost their lands and were never adequately compensated.
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