By IANS,
Gandhinagar: Shaktisinh Gohil, leader of the opposition in the Gujarat assembly, Tuesday charged the developers of the Mundra Special Economic Zone in Kutch with minting money by selling the land, which it had got virtually free for a Special Economic Zone, at exorbitant rates.
Speaking on demand for grants of the revenue department in the assembly, Gohil said as per central government rules a developer cannot sell the land which he gets for SEZ. However, the Gujarat government had not made the changes in the state law with the result that the developer made a bonanza.
According to the Congress leader, 3,15,49,000 sq mt land around Shekhadia village of Mundra taluka was obtained at the rate of Rs.8 per metre for the SEZ. “This land was sold by the industrialist at several hundred rupees a metre. Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) was given five lakh sq metres of land in the SEZ. However, this land was taken back and given to the industrialist. Even village grazing land has not been spared,” he added.
Similarly Gohil said that “the Tatas were given 1,031 hectares of land in Bhavnagar for an IT park at very low rates. Nothing has come up on the land and yet it has not been taken back though all rules have been violated. Essar was also given 1,125 hectares of land for a SEZ at a throwaway price for which it had even signed an MOU. Though Essar has withdrawn from the project, the land has still not been taken back,” he added.
Gohil pointed out that strict action should be taken against those who encroach on government land. “A BJP member of the Ankleshvar municipality has encroached on government land in a big way but no action is being taken in the matter,” he said.