Citizens Report Card on SEZ
The members of the academia, people’s movements, action groups and representatives of various community based organisations and the Citizens in general have for the last four years been consistently raising several concerns in the matter of the SEZ legislation passed by the UPA government in 2005 followed by the widespread establishment of SEZs across the country.
The provisions of the legislation itself, which promotes the creation of new political and economic territories in the country, made it clear that this is a recipe for disaster and instability. But the actual implementation and creation of these zones have also demonstrated that the stated goals of industrialisation, technological development or even export growth are a mere eye wash.
After four years of the SEZ Act – it is out in the open – that these zones are promoting expropriation of public and community resources for profit interests of domestic corporations and the financial market. As citizens’ organisations and people’s movements, we are deeply concerned about the SEZ Act and its implications for the Indian polity, society and economy.
This report card aims to describe some of the ground realities as well as serious apprehensions which need immediate action and attention.
