The Hindu : National : PIL cannot challenge SEZ policy

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Wednesday, Nov 08, 2006
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PIL cannot challenge SEZ policy

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected a petition challenging the Centre's policy on setting up special economic zones (SEZs), for which thousands of acres of land from farmers and others is being acquired.

The policy of the Government and Parliament's legislative powers could not be challenged through public interest litigation petitions, a Bench consisting of Justices K.G. Balakrishnan and D.K. Jain said on Monday. It told petitioner Ashutosh Srivastava, who argued in person, that if an affected farmer came to the court, his plea could be considered, depending upon the area where the SEZ was being created. Following this, the petitioner sought to withdraw the petition and the court "dismissed it as withdrawn."

The SEZ policy seeks to make India a hub for global exports.

It is part of the government's economic liberalisation programme and entrepreneurs have been offered liberal tax incentives to set up world-class units in these zones to service international markets.

Assailing the policy, the petitioner said developers were being offered attractive incentives if the units were developed in backward areas. Farmers were being threatened to hand over their land to business houses.

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