SC admits petitions against land acquisition for SEZ

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The Supreme Court today admitteda bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the SpecialEconomic Zone policy of the Centre and the laws governing it.

A bench comprising Justices D K Jain and H L Dattuclubbed all the petitions filed between 2006 to 2008concerning the controversial land acquisitions in differentparts of the country to set up SEZs.

The bench said it will give a final hearing to thepetitions which have been filed both against and in favour ofthe land acquisition for SEZs.

The allocation of land by state govern mets, including toMukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries in Punjab andHaryana and Anil Ambani-run Reliance Energy in Uttar Pradesh,for developing SEZs will be under scrutiny.

The petitioners, including farmers group from differentstates, have submitted governments should be prohibited fromallowing use of agricultural land for purposes other than cropcultivation and contended acquisition of land for businessgrowth of private companies by the government was illegal. PTIAAC RKS