The Maharashtra government is preparing to draw curtains on the land issues surrounding the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (SEZ), promoted by the Reliance Industries.
Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Chandrakant Patil said in the Council on Thursday that the government is positive towards handing back the unused land to the original owners – farmers of regions around Raigad.
The minister said 8,257 hectares of land were acquired for the project in 45 villages surrounding the airport. The promoter had promised a compensation of ₹18 lakh per hectare, of which around ₹10 lakh was paid upfront. The rest was to be paid in the form of other benefits, including jobs and training.
“Since the land could not be put to use for the purpose it was originally allotted for, we are considering the demands to return the land. We have also demanded that the promoters pay compensation for the interim period the project did not take off,” Mr. Patil said.
Maharashtra has been trying hard to close the eight-year-old project. The State Cabinet has even given a go-ahead to convert 2,140 hectares of land controlled by the Navi Mumbai SEZ Pvt. Ltd. into an integrated industrial area.
Members of the House wanted to know if the government will consider auctioning the remaining land or handing it back. “The government must do everything possible to adequately reimburse or return the land,” said Nationalist Congress Party leader Sunil Tatkare.
Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar. requested the government to consider a judicial precedent from Kerala, where the land was auctioned when the SEZ didn't take off.
