TEAM HERALD
Panjim: The chief minister’s solo decision of still reserving 30% of the land allotted to SEZ promoters in 2007, six years after the government decided to scrap all SEZ projects, has woken up the sleeping anti-SEZ movement.
The massive public outcry against the manner in which plots were allotted to promoters by bypassing rules and regulations, for what people largely believed to be a front for real estate development, was silenced by the Kamat government decision to scrap SEZs, as a “new year gift” on December 31, 2007.
The total area in the Verna Industrial Estate illegally allotted to SEZs is 24,15,113 square metres, in Keri is 12,32,000 square metres. and in Sancoale is 2,03,650 square metres. The total area being 38,50,763 square metres.
Since the SEZ promoters went to the Supreme Court, with no further movement on the issue, public unrest quietened, while people waited for the SEZ plots to be returned to the respective communidades.
However after the chief minister said in the assembly that 30% of the land already allotted to SEZ promoters (a total of 15 of which three were notified and four approved but not notified) would be reserved for them, in lieu of they releasing 70% to free up land for development, sharp reactions have emerged.
Franky Monteiro, the working president of the now inactive SEZ Virodhi Manch which spearheaded the anti SEZ movement reminded that what was present in the Supreme Court was only the issue of scrapping SEZs. “Two important issues were pending. Manohar Parrikar seems to have conveniently forgotten that an appeal was also filed by Franky Monteiro v/s State of Goa in the Supreme Court bearing Supreme Court Civil Appeal No. 9710/2013 praying that the other prayers in his writ petition No. 316/2008 before the High Court be granted”, Monteiro told Herald. The other prayers were (i) directions to be issued to the state government and the GIDC to take back possession of the land from the SEZ promoters and revert it back to the original land owners from whom the land was acquired or if the court is not inclined to grant the said prayer then for an order directing the state government and the GIDC to use the concerned lands for public purposes in accordance to the wishes of the people of villages whose lands were acquired (ii) have the entire process of allotment enquired into by an independent body like the CBI or have a commission of enquiry headed either by a High Court or a Supreme Court judge to look into the irregularities in the entire allotment procedure including the possibility of irregular graft and recommend action against the people responsible for these illegal allotments.
“It should be known that no backdoor dealings can be finalized by the government and the SEZ promoters and no decision can be taken by the government in respect to the said land until the appeal filed by me is disposed by the Supreme Court. Such vague and arbitrary announcements give the impression that SEZ activists are also involved in these backdoor dealings or the expectations of the people are that activists should once again renew their agitations.
Meanwhile civil society, especially in south Goa has reacted very strongly.
“The decision is unthinkable and illogical. People had prayed that the land in question be reverted back to the government. What kind of Parivartan is this?” said activist Zarinha da Cunha.
Jose Marie Miranda, writer and a supporter of the anti SEZ movement said “Where’s the question of allowing the SEZ promoters keep 30 per cent of the land when the government had decided to reject the SEZs in Goa. The SEZ land is a real estate scam where land was given to the promoters to do what they want”.
Sidhart Karapurkar, one of the main protagonists for the movement for a just and people centric Regional Plan said, “How can the government decide to let the promoters keep 30 per cent of the land when a decision is taken to scrap the SEZs in Goa. This is like applying salt on the wounds of the people.”
John Philip Pereira said “As a petitioner in the case, I am opposed to any government plan to let the SEZ promoters keep 30 per cent of the land with them. This will not be accepted by the people. We warn the government not to take such a decision and bring the people on the streets. It is indeed surprising that the government has made the proposal when the matter is sub judice. More so, when the High Court had held that the land allotment to the SEZ was illegal.
Clearly, the move to open the “back door” to let the SEZ promoters in has stirred Goa out of its slumber.
Parrikar plans the opposite
of what Matanhy wanted
PANJIM: Late Matanhy Saldanha, the convenor of the anti SEZ movement had asked the then Congress govt, to act tough on SEZ promoters who had violated rules in connivance with the govt, his own government is going ahead to do what he did not want the rival Cong to do
Matanhy’s SEZ
commandments
Appoint a counsel in the Supreme Court to defend the govt’s stand cancelling SEZ’s
Matanhy’s take: SEZ promoters circumvented the laws and manipulated officials to get the land allotted to them, and commenced work without getting the mandatory licenses and permissions
Govt should not even offer compensation to the SEZ promoters who had vitiated the atmosphere for their own selfish interest
Parrikar’s SEZ plans:
Negotiate with SEZ promoters to withdraw their SC appeal against the Supreme Court order, in lieu of allowing them to keep 30 % of the land allotted to them
Parrikar’s take: Promoters have invested money, and they are waiting, so govt will have to provide relief
The grant of 30% of a total of 40 lakh square meters is actually a backdoor compensation.
Kamat govt had bowed to
public sentiment, Parrikar
govt to industrial sentiment
The decision of the center at the behest of the Goa Chief Minister to denotify 3 SEZs found mention in a cable from the US embassy “Centre appears to
waffle on Goa SEZ ban”, according to an IANS report. The cable said that the decision to de-notify SEZs in Goa “could have hit the central government’s plans for “foreign
participation in SEZs”.
But the cable revealed the role played by then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, in insisting that the SEZs get de-notified bowing
to public sentiment. The Goa Chief Minister met the Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, after Union Commerce secretary, G K Pillai had ruled out the de-notification because there was “no such provision in law”.
After that meeting Kamal Nath said the central government can de-notify SEZs and that it would not wish to force a SEZ on a state that did not want them.
“The Commerce Ministry’s big plans for foreign participation in SEZs could
take a hit if the GOI (Government of India) capitulates to the Goa
government and approves de-notification after investors have already sunk
significant money, not to mention time, into their projects,” the cable
comments.
Meanwhile the Parrikar government’s decision to ‘reserve” 30% of the land which the High Court said was “illegally allotted” for the SEZ promoters is seen as a move to give the right signals to industry that investments will be sought to be protected ‘’”These promoters have invested money and are waiting, so we will provide some relief”.
This is notwithstanding the High Court’s clear order that since land allotments were done “in a manner not known to law”, the notification of SEZ’s itself were incorrect
