In the wake of farmers' protest over land acquisition for special economic zone, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Friday assured the state Legislative Council that his government would not interfere in the process and "nothing will proceed until farmers are satisfied."
"Both the Centre and state government have consistently maintained there will be no interference from their side in land acquisition (for SEZs)," Deshmukh said in the Upper House.
"It is up to the developer (of SEZ) and the farmer to sit and decide among themselves. Until the farmer is satisfied nothing will proceed," he added.
The chief minister said the state government has only notified the land for SEZs and farmers would get the market price of their land.
He said no agricultural land would be sold and there would be proper rehabilitation.
The CM was replying to a special mention by PWP MLC Jayant Patil who said the government was helping in land acquisition for Reliance SEZ in Raigad, where farmer were protesting.
Other members, including Diwakar Raote and Madhukar Sarpotdar of Shiv Sena and Sanjay Dutt of Congress, also raised the issue in the House.