Pune: The MIDC’s land acquisition for Videocon’s projected 2009-acre special economic zone (SEZ) at Wagholi-Kesnand has stopped up following up the interference of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who told that the verdict is in proportion to the centre’s order that asked that no governmental agency will purchase land for any private company.

While lecturing at a public conference of farmers at Wagholi, Mr. Pawar has ordered MIDC to start a de-notification route of the 5,000 acres bought at Wagholi and the neighboring villages of Bakori, Lonikand and Kesnand.

Mr Pawar told, “I have closed this issue. My committee has formulated a definite policy for land acquisition and this will be implemented throughout the country.”

The agriculturists in all these arenas held protestations after seeing MIDC’s name on the land ownership papers in May 2007.

Vilas Lande, NCP MLA and an affected farmer himself, contacted Sharad Pawar and asked him to inspect the whole matter.

Mr. Pawar said that the Union administration set up a group headed by him to investigate the whole matter of farming areas being taken up for private companies. This team has released directions that it would be wrong for administration to use their land acquisition strategy to buy land for any private company.

“The Union government has accepted the directive. Henceforth, a government agency will only acquire land needed for social infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads. A private company will have to work in its own capacity to acquire any land it needs. We have also instructed MIDC to de-notify the lands that it acquired at Wagholi, Bakori, Lonikand and Kesnand villages,” Mr. Pawar said.

Mr. Pawar warned farmers strongly not to sell their lands to private constructors once government purchasing ends up. He also recommended that they (farmers) should follow the Magarpatta City model.

Mr. Pawar said: “Nothing will be left for the next generation if farmers sell off their lands. Instead, farmers should pool their lands and lease it out to companies. This will give them a long-term returns rather than a lumpsum income from their holdings.”

The sources told that the state’s industries section has issued orders to stay land acquisition in this case. But, this doesn’t mean that it will end Videocon’s planned SEZ, since the company can still purchase the land on its own.