Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: Villagers oppose SEZ plan

Villagers oppose SEZ plan
================================================================================
newsbyte on 09 May, 2008 05:15:51
 
By Gururaj A Paniyadi
Mangalore, May 9: The Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), being established
by the ONGC-MRPL combine, suffered a setback on Friday when its officials, who
visited Permude to survey for land for the second phase of the SEZ, met with a
strong protest by villagers here.
The MSEZ officials, who came to the village accompanied by a good number of
police personnel, had come to survey 15.34 acres of land for the second phase of
the SEZ project at Permude village, about 25 kms from Mangalore. As soon as the
officials entered the village, the villagers gathered and opposed the survey
work.
"We have filed our objections against the acquisition work on March 22. But the
MSEZ officials just served notice last night and today they have come to survey.
As per the rules they have to serve us 30 days’ notice. Instead, they have not
given even one day," the local people alleged.
They also added that the notice was served on Thursday night to only a few
illiterate villagers and not to all.
The villagers were supported by members of the Krishi Bhoomi Samrakashana
Samiti, which is fighting against the MSEZ project. The Samiti members took the
matter to the notice of the Special Land Acquisition Officer of KIADB,
Mangalore, and demanded that the survey work be stopped.
The officer agreed to defer the work until after the elections. Samiti members
alleged that the MSEZ had acquired 1,800 acres of land under the first phase of
the project, but had approval to acquire only 1,544 acres.