A former MP has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court for a direction to the State and Central governments to recover the loss of Rs.67.57 crore, the land value, and Rs.96.84 lakh, stamp duty exemption, from two developers, in connection with the alleged transfer of lands meant for social infrastructure in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kancheepuram district to individuals not connected with the zone activities.
The lands concerned should also be recovered, the petitioner said.
The First Bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, ordered notice returnable by October 8.
In the petition filed through counsel R. Rajendran, the petitioner, K. Krishnamurthy of Gopalapuram here cited an audit report of the Principal Accountant-General (Economic and Revenue Sector Audit) for 2007-12.
He said the State government had acquired 841 acres of patta land between Chettipunyam and Paranur railway stations and transferred them to Mahindra World City Developers Ltd. (Mahindra) for setting up the zone. Specific zones were set up and the SEZs became operational in 2006. The company appointed Mahindra GESCO Developer Limited as a co-developer for developing authorised operations (social infrastructure) in the non-processing areas of the SEZs and transferred government lands to it. Such social infrastructure should be created mandatorily only for developing an SEZ and not for individuals or NRIs not connected with the zone activities in view of the definition of “infrastructure facilities.”
Mr. Krishnamurthy alleged that Mahindra GESCO constructed villas and semi-bungalows on 21.5 acre of government lands and sold them to 103 individuals, not connected with SEZ activities.
