MUMBAI: The Centre has permitted Maharashtra to go ahead with issuing notices, under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, in 29 villages failing under the MahaMumbai Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) proposed by the Reliance group in Raigad district. Section 6 is a declaration that land has been acquired for a public purpose.

Local farmers' organisations, on Monday, held a meeting with Collector Seema Vyas to protest the Government's decision even as one of the activists of the SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Vaishali Patil, was detained in her house in Pen and prevented from attending it.

Ms. Patil told The Hindu that on Sunday she was taken to the Pen police station, with no policewoman present, at 11 p.m. "The police said some farmers were planning to commit suicide to protest the Reliance group's SEZ project and they asked me for details. I said there was no such plan and I did not know anything about it," she said.

Legal notice

However, the police served a legal notice on Ms. Patil and said she would be held responsible if any farmer committed suicide. Then the police took her back home.Ms. Patil said an Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police Shinde and two women police were stationed in her house and she was not allowed to attend the 5 p.m. meeting with the Collector. The police were posted outside her house also.

After farmers and activists raised the issue at the meeting, police bandobust was withdrawn from her house by Monday evening.

The farmers told the Collector that they would agitate against the "illegal detention" of Ms. Patil and also the decision to issue notices under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act.

Last year notices, saying the Government intended acquiring land for the SEZ, were issued to farmers in 45 villages in three taluks of Raigad district. But following an agitation, the Chief Minister said the Government would not forcibly acquire land. However, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane said land acquisition could not be stopped and notices would have to be issued, as otherwise the entire process would lapse.

Ms. Vyas told The Hindu that the question of issuing Section 6 notices was discussed with farmers. The Centre, while giving permission, specified that the company would have to conduct further negotiations with the farmers, she said.

Until they called off their agitation against the project, the final award would not be declared.

Under the Act, land acquisition had to be completed a year after notices under Section 4, which shows the Government's intention to acquire it, were issued. Otherwise, the process would lapse.

That date was approaching and that was why the Centre gave the green signal. The rest of the villages would also be notified in phases, the Collector said.

Complaint denied

Referring to Ms. Patil's complaint, Ms. Vyas said nothing of the sort happened and she was not at all detained. The police told her that no notice was served on Ms. Patil, nor was she prevented from attending the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Forum against Globalisation and local groups have written to Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil protesting the treatment meted out to Ms. Patil. There will be a protest on June 15 in front of land acquisition offices.

Reliance's SEZ will spread over 10,000 hectares in Raigad district. The project is still to be cleared by the Board of Approvals for SEZs.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail