The Mumbai special economic zone promoted by the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries which will come up on more than 10,000 hectares near Panvel will earn the farmers, who willingly sold their land for the SEZ, some more.
It may be recalled that the company had announced a compensation package of Rs 25 lakh per hectare for the land under cultivation and Rs 12.5 lakh per hectare for uncultivated land to farmers from whom the company will acquire the land through the state government.
However, the company had paid a much lesser price to farmers who willingly sold the land to the company.
However, the farmers are complaining that the company's package is a pittance when compared to the prevailing land prices and are not willing to sell their land to the company. They are claiming that the land in the area is fetching as much as Rs 3.5 crore per acre.
When contacted, the company spokesman said that around 400 farmers will benefit from the decision. But, the spokesperson expressed the inability to give details on how much land was bought for the SEZ from the 400 farmers.
Meanwhile, addressing the press conference peasants and workers party leader N D Patil announced a rasta roko on all major highways in the state where SEZs are coming up and asked all like-minded parties like Janata Dal, CPM, CPI and others to support Thursday's agitation.
He further said that under no circumstance will land tilled by farmers will be allowed to be taken over for SEZ. No amount of compensation will deter us from our resolve as the farmer knows nothing except farming.
What will he or she do from the money they will get under the so called compensation package, he added.
This is like forcing an employee working in a bank or worker in factory to accept voluntary retirement scheme, no amount of money can give a person the sense of being gainfully employed, he pointed out.