Farmers Protesting Against RIL

April 16, 2007	(Be the first to rate this story!)  Loading ...
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Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is facing a fresh gusher of criticism by the farmers who are ready to repeat the Nandigram incident in Maharashtra. Such a move is planned in response of the notice released by the Maharashtra Government which has asked the farmers to hand over their land and accept the compensation offered by India’s largest private company.

Confrontations by farmers have disabled Reliance to acquire even four per cent of the land for the development of its 10,000 hectare Mahamumbai SEZ.

However, RIL claims to have offered the best compensation package to farmers. The offer includes Rs 5 lakh for barren land, Rs 10 lakh for land under cultivation. This is one of the offers. Another offer comprises of giving 12.5 per cent of developed land back to the farmer. They will also be entitled to a monthly compensation of Rs. 5,000 and a job for one person per family is also in the store, says an official.

This, however, could not woo the farmers who have denied being separate from their land at any cost. They believe the offers to be fake deals. “The company will provide mere jobs of security guards to our children”, says Thakur.

Such problems seem to be endemic to Special Economic Zone (SEZs). Both the government and the entrepreneurs have embraced the concept with unqualified enthusiasm without pondering over its results.  But, the common man, whose land will be needed to provide base for these corporate towers, seems less protected.

Not all states have witnessed the same issues and protest regarding development of SEZs. Talking about Tamil Nadu, there have been no major issues. The state has five operational SEZs. Eleven has obtained final approvals whereas 22 have created in-principle approvals.

News Published Under:   Special Economic Zones |

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