Maharashtra Industry Minister Subhash Desai on Monday said that the government has started the process to return the farmland to farmers which was acquired for the development of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by Maha Mumbai in Raigad district.
Mumbai multi-purpose SEZ approved by the Centre in 2003 was given an extension five times to start operations. Even after 15 years, the Maha Mumbai SEZ company has failed to start the SEZ and hence farmers whose land was acquired for the project had demanded that the government must return the land to them.
Maha Mumbai SEZ Company had announced to set up Maha Mumbai SEZ on 10,000 hectares land and acquired farmland in Uran, Panvel, and Pen blocks.
Industry Minister Subhash Desai told the State Assembly that in 2006 the government published the notification to acquire 8,257-hectare land for the SEZ in Uran, Pen, and Panvel blocks. The Maha Mumbai SEZ acquired 1,504 hectares of land and the rest of the land was dropped from the acquisition process.
Minister Desai said that the farmers will get back their land at the original price at which it was acquired. “ The hearing process has already started at district collector level and it would be completed within three months,” said Desai.
=============