Mukesh Ambani's SEZ plans in trouble

Mumbai: Mukesh Ambani's plans to convert Raigad district into Maharashtra's biggest Special Economic Zone (SEZ) seem to have run into trouble. The state government has issued a resolution to de-notify the acquisition of land for this as Reliance could not acquire the land by the December 2009 deadline. It says the farmers are now free to utilise their lands as they deem fit.

"The decision has been taken by Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat in the interests of farmers as process of land acquisition for the SEZ wasn't completed in the stipulated period," an official said.

The period of two years allotted under the Land Acquisition Act to acquire land for the ambitious project had lapsed in December 2009, but the government had so far made no official announcement on the issue.

This meant the 7/12 (land record) extracts of farmers in the project area, comprising 45 villages in Uran, Pen and Panvel talukas, continued to carry the remark that the land was reserved for the SEZ project, preventing farmers from selling, buying, or transferring their lands.

"Farmers were in a dilemma so far, but now they are free to use their lands as they wish. This will set an example for other SEZs in the country," Ulka Mahajan of the SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti said.

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The land acquisition procedure for the proposed SEZ project, spread over 35,000 acres in Raigad, was started in May 2006. But, the company managed to acquire only 13 per cent of the land within the stipulated period, as it faced strong opposition from farmers.
In September 2008, the state government conducted a referendum, in which the villagers voted against the project.

Sources say the state government can't scrap the SEZ as this is up to the Centre. This will mean Mukesh Ambani can acquire the land privately. But this won't be easy given the stiff opposition from the locals.

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Sources say the 500 farmers who had earlier given their land for the SEZ have now approached the court asking for it to be returned. They say they are even willing to return the compensation given to them. (With PTI Inputs)