SEZs, a gold mine for realtors: Justice Saldanha

Speaking to reporters after releasing Kannada version of his book “Mangalooru Vishesha Arthika Valaya ennuva ondu ghanaghora manava durantha’ here on Monday, Saldanha said that as per rules, agriculture land cannot be acquired for SEZs or any other industrial purposes.

“The original documents of agriculture land were destroyed and fake documents were created. Upa Lokayukta, after conducting inquiry, has recommended the State government to take legal action against the Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and the Revenue Department. However, it is unfortunate that the recommendation has been ignored by the government,” he said.

“The KIADB Act has been misused by the government to acquire prime agriculture land for MSEZ. Houses, farms and cowsheds were demolished with the help of police and goons.

Though I had written several letters to the MSEZ authorities, they did not respond to it.

Even Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa too did not pay heed to the grievances of the project displaced families of MSEZ,” Saldanha said.

He  added that the SEZs have become gold mines for real estate brokers.