The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : SEZs: rules on land acquisition sacrosanct, says Kumaraswamy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

SEZs: rules on land acquisition sacrosanct, says Kumaraswamy

Staff Reporter

Rubbishes reports of JD(S) trying to favour a Mumbai company

H.D. Kumaraswamy

BANGALORE: The State Government would follow the rules laid out by the Centre with regard to acquisition of land for Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday. Reacting to media reports that the Janata Dal (S) was pushing for granting 34,000 acres to a Mumbai company and that the Bharatiya Janata Party had joined issue with it, Mr. Kumaraswamy said, "These are all rumours spread to mislead the people."

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a Bangalore Development Authority function, the Chief Minister said any company which wanted to acquire land for an SEZ had to do it on its own. "Rules state that the Government will not be involved in it and we will follow the rules," he said.

`No Government role'

Gulbarga Special Correspondent reports:

Industries Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu on Wednesday clarified that the State Government would not acquire land on behalf of industrial houses to set up SEZs in the State.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Naidu said the Government had decided not to go in for land acquisition for the proposed SEZs because of the controversies involved in it.

He said it would be the responsibility of the industrial houses and MNCs proposing to establish the SEZ in the State to purchase the land directly from farmers in the area where they wanted to set up SEZs and seek the approval of the Government.

Mr. Naidu said the industrial development in the State was 14.7 per cent when compared to the national average of 12 per cent.

He said the State Government had decided to accord top priority for the manufacturing sector and discussions were held with investors wishing to set up units in different parts of the State.

Mr. Naidu told a questioner that the investors' meet in Mangalore, Belgaum, Shimoga and Raichur had been largely successful with many industrialists evincing interest in establishing units in these districts.

The Government proposed to hold similar meets in Gulbarga, Bidar, Koppal, Hubli-Dharwad, Davangere, Chikmagalur and Kolar.

He said that investment proposals worth Rs. 40,000 crore was pending with the Government and after the process of land acquisition was completed the applications would be cleared.

Mr. Naidu said the first priority of the State Government was to tackle the unemployment problem through large-scale industrialisation.

Unemployment was forcing the youth to join anti-national and anti-social movements, he said.

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