Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Monday farmers should be adequately compensated for agricultural lands acquired by governments for setting up special economic zones.

"Though we are in favour of the SEZs, we don't want them to grow at the cost of the farmers' deprivation," he said.

"The government's idea of acquiring agricultural lands at government rates is not good. The concept of economic development by putting the farmers out on the streets is not welcome.

"At present, the government decides the rates, dispossessing farmers of their land, which creates misgivings between different parties", he told reporters in Pune after speaking at the annual meeting of Maharashtra Rajya Draksha Bagaitdar Sangh.

"Actually, it should be between the industrialists and the farmers. If at all the government is involved, then it should ensure that the farmers get rightful compensation and also some share (at least 12.5 per cent) of the developed land," he said.

Asked about the demand by Shetkari Sanghatana's Sharad Joshi to give Rs 2,200 per tonne on sugarcane and Rs 1,400 (per tonne) in advance to the farmers for their produce, Pawar said it was for the state government and the cooperative sugar factories to decide on what they actually needed to do.

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