SE(i)Zing Ind ai th Tourismr gou h Equations Touris t at res t Keep of f!... March 2007 EQUATIONS-Equitable Tourism Options #415,2C-Cross, 4th Main,OMBR layout, Banaswadi, Bangalore-560043 Ph:+91-80-25457607/25457659 Fax:+91-80-25457665 Email:
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[email protected] Preface The last year and a half have seen widespread protests, even violent struggles across the nation against forced land acquisition for creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). SEZs are being created under the Special Economic Zone Act 2005, a model promoted with frenzy by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC) with the promise of creating jobs, ushering investment and heralding unprecedented economic growth in the country. Making the most of a central Act that empowered states to create such exclusive 'growth' zones, government have gone on a widespread drive of acquiring, leasing out and selling land to private and government developers. The central government's fast track approval of over 237 SEZ proposals has led to total land area acquired of approximately 134,000 hectares for 67 multi-product SEZs alone. Claims of the MoC that agricultural land has been left untouched and not a single farmer has been displaced by SEZs created thus far are far from the truth, as it is farmers groups that are leading protests around the country.