HCs to send petitions on land allotments for SEZs to SC

New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to Ajay Singh Chautala, son of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Gram Panchayat Gharauli, Khurd, and Meghnath Nathuram Patil on a petition filed by Reliance Venture Limited seeking transfer of all the petitions pending in different High Courts challenging the allotment to Reliance for setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to the Supreme Court.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Tarun Chatterjee and R V Raveendran also issued notices on a petition filed by Mumbai SEZ Limited seeking similar relief.

Earlier, counsel for the petitioner contended before the court that it will be in the interest of justice to transfer all the petitions pending in Punjab and Haryana and Bombay High Courts to the Supreme Court. And it will also help in speedy disposal of the petitions.

The policy of the government of alloting thousands of acres of land to big industrial offices and multinationals have caused widespread resentment among the farmers whose lands are being forcibly acquired by the government.

There have been violent incidents in various parts of the country such as Nandigarm in West Bengal, Dadri in U P against the forcible acquisition of the farmers land on a large scale.

In another case, the Supreme Court today declined to entertain a petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, seeking an inquiry into the allotment of land to big industrial groups for setting up of SEZs throughout the country.

UNI