Pune: Amidst protests against SEZs, a villagers of Avsari Khurd near Pune have prepared a proposal for SEZ status for their village. The propsal has been approved by the village panchayat but needs a go ahead from the government.
While the government and the corporates have been struggling to convince farmers to part with their land to set up Special Economic Zones, a village in Pune is setting a new trend. Sopen Bhor, a farmer from the Khurd Village near Pune has put forward a proposal to the government for getting an SEZ status for his village.
“Whether it is agricultural or non agricultural land—if we convert it for industrial purposes, its price automatically rises,” said Bhor a resident of Avsari Khurd.
The villagers are proposing to form a company named Avsari Khurd Industrial development private limited. The company will set aside 6,250 acres of land for setting up industries, while 1,000 acres will be set aside for residential use.
“We will promote small enterprises and entrepreneurs from our village. Rest of it will be sold for industry use,” said Sopen Bhor.
However Avsari Khurd is not the first of its kind. Seven-years ago, Magarpatta village in Pune had converted itself into an industrial township when farmers there realised that industrialization is the way forward.
The SEZ will have space for a variety of Industries like IT, automobile, warehouses and pharma. The proposal is still to get an approval from the board of approvals, but the villagers are optimistic that their dream of converting these lands into an industrial hub will become reality.
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