The public hearing on the land acquisition in Raigad for the proposed special economic zone (SEZ) is likely to be held as scheduled on September 21.
The petition filed by Mukesh Ambani Group’s Mumbai Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) in the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the hearing, is likely to be heard early next week.
(The government and activists have been referring to the public hearing as a referendum. Referendum, by definition, should involve voting. Sources said the exercise on Sunday would only involve a public hearing following which the collector would send his report to the government)
MSEZ has moved court seeking to restrain the government from holding the public hearing on acquisition of over 5,000 acres of land in 22 villages of Pen, stating that such a move is illegal and arbitrary.
MSEZ has submitted that the government had from time to time held out a promise to acquire land to enable them set up the SEZ. Only on such promise, MSEZ took steps to establish the project by entering into agreements with landlords in notified areas. MSEZ has already spent Rs573 crore, made a commitment of another Rs500 crore towards the project and deposited Rs110 crores with the government as an interim measure to pay compensation for the land acquired.
MSEZ said under the land acquisition Act, the appropriate government is empowered to acquire 30% of the project land and the balance is to be acquired by the company which is setting up the SEZ. MSEZ had stated that grave and irreparable prejudice would be caused to the company if the government was allowed to rescind from their promise made to them.
The Raigad collector had set the hearing process in motion on August 25 by issuing a public notice in newspapers to call upon the project-affected people to give opinion about giving their land for the project.
