Devil's Advocate: Kamal Nath

STRONG VOICE: Kamal Nath says Nandigram issue has nothing to do with the SEZs.

        

Other stories in the section:

Sanjeev Nanda gets 5-year jail term in hit-and-run case

Sanjeev Nanda was found guilty in the case earlier this week.

• New IITs are a disaster, says PM's scientific adviser

• On Teacher Day, Modi turns preacher on anti-terrorism

Featured Blog

Rajdeep Sardesai

Tale of Two Azmis

Featured Slideshows

Related Headlines

powered by

• Nandigram unfortunate, SEZ Nath
• No political wriggling out, SEZ Nath
• Despite Nandigram, Nath won't budge

Keywords: Nandigram, SEZ

Kamal Nath: There is no political wriggling out. It is an act of Parliament, and the Cabinet has considered it. But there is the issue of land acquisition, which must be equitable, must be fair, must be at the right prices must be inclusive of the people. Nandigram was a very unfortunate incident of land acquisition and we must not confuse land acquisition. You had the TATA car project, which was not an SEZ.

Karan Thapar: So, you are saying don’t confuse land acquisition or the problems of land acquisition with the viability of SEZs…

Kamal Nath: Absolutely, they are two distinct things.

Karan Thapar: Let me repeat that question. The Government therefore remains committed to SEZs?

Kamal Nath: Absolutely.

Karan Thapar: Nandigram and political concerns have not put you off?

Kamal Nath: They have not put me off. We need to look at land acquisition and we need to look at rehabilitation, we have to do all that.

Karan Thapar: And the Prime Minister is with you when you say that he too is committed to SEZs?

Kamal Nath: Well the Prime Minister made a statement in Parliament a couple of days ago.

Karan Thapar: But that was before Nandigram so once again I am asking you after Nandigram, the Government as a whole is committed?

Kamal Nath: Of course, the Government is committed.

Karan Thapar: All right In that case lets look at SEZs and lets look at the sort of situation they create. Your secretary in your Ministry, GK Pillai, has told Outlook magazine that if all 234 proposed SEZs were to go ahead, India would see a 2,50,000 crore increase in investment, 30,00,000 new jobs, and over the next three years, the GDP would increase by three per cent. Are those fanciful facts or do you stand by them?

Kamal Nath: It is not fanciful at all, it is a fact. India is emerging as a major manufacturing hub and in this hub manufacturing for exports is the most important.

Karan Thapar: So, SEZs are the engine of growth?

Kamal Nath: SEZs are the engine of growth, they are being established and they are on the ground.

Karan Thapar: The problem is that many of your critics dispute those facts and dispute that understanding of SEZs. Let me put to you what they say- to begin with, the Ministry of Finance is letting people know that SEZs over a period of the first four years would incur a loss in revenue of Rs 1,00,000 crore because of the tax, excise and duty concessions you are giving them.