The proposed Reliance SEZ controversy in Haryana refuses to die down. While on one hand Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi is persistently raking the matter, the latest being over the government's hotchpotch reply to his questionnaire under the RTI Act, on the other the opposition is all set to take the issue to president APJ Abdul Kalam's doorstep.
"We would soon be approaching the president to demand the scrapping of the SEZ project since it's neither in the interest of the state nor the farmers," said former Chief Minister and INLD supreme, Om Prakash Chautala.
Talking to Hindustan Times Chautala claimed that he was mobilising support from all political parties opposed to the SEZ projects in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and they would jointly submit a memorandum to the President demanding the scrapping of the entire SEZ policy in its present form.
"The present policy amounts to robbing the poor farmers of their fertile land at abysmal low prices and handing it over to private companies for further sale at huge profits," he said adding that even massive tax concessions being extended to SEZ promoters were also out of place. Saying that the SEZ policy should be reviewed in totality, Chautala said there were serious differences over it within the Congress and even Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had expressed his reservations on it, albeit in a veiled manner, during his recent visit at Chandigarh.
Maintaining that his party was not opposed to industrialisation as such, Chautala said they would have no objections if corporate houses acquired land at the prevailing market prices and utilised it after paying due taxes to the state.
Expressing hope that the president would not allow the government to harm the interests of the farmers, he said they were trying to fix an appointment with Dr Kalam on Nov 1, the Haryana Day.
Maintaining that his party was not opposed to industrialisation as such, Chautala said they would have no objections if corporate houses acquired land at the prevailing market prices and utilised it after paying due taxes to the state.
Expressing hope that the president would not allow the government to harm the interests of the farmers, he said they were trying to fix an appointment with Dr Kalam on Nov 1, the Haryana Day.