Ryots see no hope in Kisan SEZ

Zone turning into an industrial cluster rather than hub for agri-based products

​Nellore: Kisan SEZ, which was planned to be developed as a focused fertiliser unit, is now being gradually converted into a multi-product zone.

The special economic zone was aimed and approved by the government for setting up a fertiliser unit two decades ago with the active participation of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco).

The proposal of the one-of-its kind unit has been dropped due to problems relating to raw materials like naphtha. Later, the cooperative revised the plan in 2008 in favour of setting up a special economic zone for betterment of farming community.

Assuring that farmers would be benefitted from the project, the State government acquired around 3,000 acres alongside the national highway.

Land which was acquired in 1994-95 is still fallow and a huge compound wall was recently built protecting it from encroachments by the cooperative.

“My father gave our lands in 1995 for the fertiliser unit in Kodavalur mandal expecting some employment or some livelihood from the progress in the area.

The land is not being used even today. The cost escalated abnormally and a single acre is sufficient for revenue of life-time for a poor farmer,” said C Kotireddy, a farmer from the area.

The zone has been promoting industrial units as it has been designated as Multiproduct Zone in 2010 and the plans for supporting farmers have gradually vanished.

Now, Gamesa, a Spanish company, has set up a unit for manufacturing rotor blades for starters and the Chief Minister inaugurated the factory last week.

There are plans of setting up Coca Cola unit and CEO of the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Private Limited has recently announced that they would consider starting up the plant by next year with a plan of getting 10 million gallons of water per day (MGD) through two pipelines from Kanigiri Reservoir for plant’s needs.

“The State government is satisfied with the industrial growth in the region which disregards interests of the farmers and also of the people who rely on agriculture-related activities.

If the land is not used appropriately, deviating from the purpose, it has to be returned to the farmers,” said K Sahadevaiah, a social worker.

Though officials say the main objective of the zone is to benefit the farmers, there are many proposals for domestic and foreign companies coming forward to start their units.

The zone also attracts warehousing organisations as the location is close to the railway line, national highway and the port.

In this scenario, farmers’ associations wonder how manufacturing and commercial units would be of any support to farmers.