Sack Aleixo, Kavlekar: SEZ Virodhi Manch to CM

Sack Aleixo, Kavlekar: SEZ Virodhi Manch to CM
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, DEC 14
The SEZ Virodhi Manch has demanded that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat sack IDC Chairman Babu Kavlekar and Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira, besides officials and initiate judicial or CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal allotments for SEZ causing losses to the public exchequer to the tune of over Rs 100 crore as per the CAG report for 2008-09.
While reiterating its demand resignation of Kavlekar, Sequeira, A V Palekar and Keshav Kamat from whatever capacity they may be performing today, SVM has demanded that the said lands should be taken over by the government from the GIDC and utilised in accordance with the wishes of the people of the concerned villages for utility/community projects.
SVM has further demanded that GIDC immediately notify regulations under Section 51 of the GIDC and specify the mode of disposal of GIDC lands as the same do not exist till date and the GIDC follows a first come first serve policy as per submissions made in the High Court.
“SVM demands that the GIDC adequately advertise availability of Industrial plots in principles of transparency with first preference given to entrepreneurs for self-employment. The State Government should immediately hand over the jurisdiction of industrial estates to the village panchayats as the loss of jurisdiction has caused undue losses and violations with villagers facing the brunt due to illegalities in form of illegal bore wells, illegal constructions, violation of construction regulations, etc. and local panchayats having no control over their own lands. Governance of industrial estates need to be vested to the local bodies”, asserted SVM Convenor Charles Fernandes.
Condemning the statements of the GIDC Chairman, Kavlekar, stating that the Central Government Policy to encourage SEZs in the State was supported by the State Government and therefore, the lands were allotted for SEZs as GIDC is an organ of the State government, Fernandes said the IDC chairman seems to have forgotten that the Bombay High Court has rejected all the above frivolous submissions in the judgement on 26/11/2010 while quashing the allotments made for SEZs.
He said the Bombay High Court has clearly held in the judgement “The power of GIDC under clause (a) of Section 14 of the transfer of lands vesting in GIDC can be exercised only with a view to ensure establishment, growth and development of industries. It can be safely concluded that there was no direction issued by State government under Section 16 of GIDC Act to allot any land for the purposes of setting up SEZs”.