Oneindia:
New Delhi: Tuesday, June 04, 2019.
The
affected farmers of Chhindwara Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on Monday opposed
any move to grant environmental clearance to the developer company- Chhindwara
Plus Developers Limited.
The
Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board organised a public hearing programme at
Sausar Rest House on Monday wherein the people were invited to register their
objections, grievances, if any, in this regard.
Madhya
Pradesh Government officials, police officials, and SEZ affected farmers of
Sausar attended the programme.
Speaking
on the occasion, farmer leader Nandkishore Dhoble not only registered strong
protest against any move to grant environmental clearance to Chhindwara Plus
Developers Limited but also highlighted the irregularities and corruption in
the said SEZ.
Talking
to One India over phone from Sausar, Dhoble said that it seems the programme
was organised just to complete the formality as the government officials just
listened to us like mute spectators and didn't discuss the corruption issue.
He
said the farmers have a video recording of the programme so that the government
officials should not send a fabricated report to the Union Environment
Ministry.
"We
have clearly warned the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board officials that
if the environment clearance is given to the said company then we will move to
the court to hold corrupt state and Central government officials
accountable," Dhoble said.
He
also said that the farmers are planning to launch a hunger strike as the
concerned government officials have not initiated any action against the said
company despite the order of Chhindwara collector.
Thousands
of farmers of Tehsil Sausar of District Chhindwara have been running from
pillar to post from last 11 years to get back their land from Chhindwara Plus
Developers Limited, which they accuse of purchasing thousands of acres of their
fertile land in the name of setting up the SEZ since 2007 at throwaway prices.
One
of the affected farmers Dhoble has become Right to Information (RTI) Act
activist and has been waging a war against the unholy and powerful alliance
between the company and certain government officials. He has substantial
documentary evidence, obtained through the RTI, which suggests how the said SEZ
became an alibi of purchasing agriculture land by flouting government rules and
regulations under the then Congress-ruled central government and Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh.
Interestingly,
it was during Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's tenure as Union
Commerce and Industries Minister, the company had got in principle approval in
2007 for one year to set up the SEZ in Sausar.
Farmers
allege that since then the company has got many extensions of the said
in-principle approval without setting up a single unit in the said SEZ, but has
been successful in purchasing around 6000 acres of farmland by flouting SEZ
rules.
The
company had got final approval to set up SEZ on August 29, 2016. The said
approval is valid for a period of three years, i.e August 29, 2019.
The
farmers are determined to get back their land from the Company and say that
actually the Chhindwara SEZ is a real estate scam.
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