Farmers to set up own SEZ near Pune

(##include msid=2162032,type=11 ##)People protest against the setting up of SEZ in Pune (TOI Photo)PUNE: Herein probably lies the key to avoiding strife over special economic zones (SEZs). While industrialists are eyeing farmers' land across the country, a village barely 40 km from the city has taken the initiative to set up its very own SEZ.
And now, the state government has given the go-ahead for this the first farmers' SEZ in the country, which will be set up at Avasari Khurd village in Ambegaon taluka of Pune district.
The 1,500-odd farmers of the village will now form a company — Avasari Khurd Industrial Development Pvt Ltd.
"The SEZ has been proposed on barren land worth Rs 900 crore," said industrialist Sopan Bhor, who mobilised the farmers to explore the possibility of establishing the SEZ.
"Instead of sitting on this asset, we decided to convert it into a capital venture. About 18,000 people stay in the village and not only will everyone get a job, the farmers will also be owners of the SEZ."
"After getting consent from the gram sabha and gram panchayat, we approached the state and central governments and received a positive response. But since a gram panchayat cannot establish an SEZ, we decided to form a private limited firm in which the farmers will be shareholders," said Bhor.
The icing on the cake came on December 12 when the farmers received a letter from the state government giving the project an in-principle sanction.
A detailed proposal will be submitted to the state government within a month, which will include legal and technical documents. The state government will forward the proposal to the central government," Bhor said.
"It is an excellent idea and a positive step which will benefit the farmers," says district collector Prabhakar Deshmukh.
The proposed company plans to use 2,665 acres of the total 6,200-odd acres in the village for agriculture and 2,489 acres for industrial development. Also 1,066 acres will be set aside for residential purpose. Various sectors, including automobile, electronics, IT and chemical, will be part of the proposed SEZ.
The shareholders (farmers) will put in the initial investment.
"Once the proposal is cleared, laying roads, creating gardens, drainage facilities and setting up other infrastructure will be started on a priority basis," Bhor said.
For the farmers, their land is everything, said Bhor. Therefore, the Avasari Khurd farmers decided to develop their land instead of selling it or allowing the government to acquire it.
"If big companies and industrialists can develop SEZs on land acquired from farmers, why can't farmers develop their own SEZs?" asked Bhor pertinently.
The initiative has drawn farmers from Nashik and Nigunje to the village to understand the project.