Devil's Advocate: Kamal Nath

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

        

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Keywords: Nandigram, SEZ

Karan Thapar: The problem here is that your own colleague in your Ministry, Jairam Ramesh, goes around giving the impression that most of the SEZs are not involved in what he wants them to be involved in, which is labour-intensive units. Instead, he says they are IT-related and they will have a minimal impact. He, in a sense, is giving the wrong impression to people.

Kamal Nath: I don’t know what he is doing, I don’t think I have ever heard of that but the fact of the matter is that even if it is IT…

Karan Thapar: Let me quote to you what he said to Outlook magazine on February 12: “They (SEZs) should be a tool for promoting labour-intensive units, it seems that is not happening and if that’s the case, the policies should be reviewed.

Kamal Nath: That’s not correct.

Karan Thapar: So, he’s wrong?

Kamal Nath: There are 50 SEZs on the ground being built and they have started functioning.

Karan Thapar: And they will increase employment?

Kamal Nath: They are on the ground and it is open for everybody to see.

Karan Thapar: And they will increase employment?

Kamal Nath: How can you manufacture without employment? How can you even put an IT SEZ without employment?

Karan Thapar: So, there will be a meaningful impact, not just a marginal impact on employment?

Kamal Nath: Any impact on employment is good and this is going to be meaningful also.

Karan Thapar: In that case, lets come to what many consider to be the biggest problem with SEZs-the manner in which the land is being acquired. I know you made a great point of distinguishing between land acquisitions on the one hand and SEZs on the other, but SEZs also require land acquisition and many states are voluntarily stepping in to do it. The problem is that land acquisition is exciting emotion and passion and creating trouble. How do you get around that problem?

Kamal Nath: We need to have a good land acquisition rehabilitation policy. The rural development ministry and the rehabilitation ministry are looking into that, there is no doubt in it that rehabilitation and land acquisition must be transparent.

Karan Thapar: Let me put it to you like this-many people say that the only way in which the land acquisition will become transparent and overcome the emotional problem is if in addition to giving the disposed farmer the market price for his land, you also give him the stake in the development that is going to take place there. Will your Government’s new rehabilitation and resettlement policy actually make that jump?