Even as Anil Ambani's proposal for a special economic zone in Noida was turned down by the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday, Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai SEZ (formerly called the Maha Mumbai SEZ) has also run into problems.
In an affidavit filed before the Bombay high court on Friday, the Maharashtra government's industrial and urban infrastructure development arm, CIDCO, has opposed the state government's decision to notify 4,000 hectares of land from Khopta and 21 nearby villages for acquisition for the Mumbai SEZ in Raigad district.
The Mumbai SEZ is one of two being promoted by Reliance Industries in the district, the other being the 4,000-hectare Navi Mumbai SEZ.
An affidavit to this effect was filed by the CIDCO managing director in the Bombay high court, which is hearing a public interest litigation on the acquisition of land for the Reliance SEZ. The PIL was filed by Peasant and Workers Party leader Datta Patil and others. The petitioners had made CIDCO a respondent in the PIL.
The affidavit states that the decision to notify the land from these villages was taken without consulting CIDCO, which is a planning body for the area. CIDCO had prepared plans to develop a township in this area, which was approved by the government, the statement said.
Besides the township, the affidavit states that the land in these villages will be required to develop a container freight station, container depots - since these villages are near Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust - and other allied activities.
The division Bench hearing the PIL, comprising high court Chief Justice Swatantra Kumar and Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud, has adjourned the hearing for four weeks and directed Reliance Industries to file an affidavit.
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