The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Medha Patkar terms SEZs special exploitation zones

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Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009
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Medha Patkar terms SEZs special exploitation zones

Staff Reporter

‘They create foreign territories within the country’

‘There is no actual data on the real loss of livelihood’
‘People are kept ignorant about land acquisition’

Medha Patkar speaking at a public lecture in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: “SEZ is not Special Economic Zone, but Special Exploitation Zone. This unreal state of development will have an immediate impact on food security and housing rights of the middle class and slum dwellers,” said Medha Patkar, social activist.

She was speaking a public lecture “SEZs, Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) and the development needs of India” organised by The Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, here on Monday.

Ms. Patkar said that the SEZ Act does not conceal the objective of creating foreign territories within the country.

“They want to bring in a foreign paradigm of development by denying the local communities their right to resources. There is no actual data on the real loss of livelihood. These issues must be heard by the larger civil society. We are all guaranteed the right to be planners ourselves. Yet, even the intellectuals and academicians among us do not assert our right for planned development,” she said.

Aruna Roy, social activist, who spoke earlier, said public audits have revealed that people are kept in the dark about land acquisition.

“Revenue records have been fudged so that lands can be acquired. By setting up SEZs, (the powers-that-be) are creating gloom, misery, sowing seeds of violence and destroying lives and livelihoods,” she said.

She said that in Mangalore, 20 per cent of all land was going towards setting up of various SEZs.

“What is left for the people? There should be a process where people’s voices are heard. If we do not have transparency and accountability, power will never be truthful,” she added.

The public hearing was held after a daylong review meeting organised to critically examine SEZs and PCPIRs in a series of people’s audits across various States in the country.

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