Mumbai special economic zone puts Raigad project on hold

Reliance Industries-promoted Mumbai special economic zone (SEZ) has put on hold, the implementation of a Rs 40,000crore multi-product SEZ on 10,000 hectare in the coastal Raigad district. Mumbai SEZ, a company pursuing the proposed SEZ, whose petition was dis missed by the Supreme Court when it refused to extend the time for land acquisition, now does not want to proceed further till the Bombay High Court decides the matter. The apex court has asked the Bombay High Court to change the bench and conduct the proceedings.

However, Mumbai SEZ may exercise an alternative option and pursue land acquisition as the permission it has received under the Bombay Tenancy Agricultural Land Act still holds. According to this act, whatever land the company has acquired so far can be transferred on its name.

Mumbai SEZ has so far acquired 1,000 hectare of non-contiguous land and thus it may have to drop the multi-product SEZ.

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Villagers attack Nilachal Power staff in Orissa

The KVK Nilachal Power Ltd, which wants to set up a Rs 4,000-crore, 1,000-mw coal-fired thermal power plant in Orissa’s Cuttack district, postponed its ground-breaking ceremony on Monday after violent protests from villagers facing displacement due to the project.

“The ground-breaking ceremony has been stopped for the time-being,” said Cuttack district collector Kishore Mohanty. The district administration is trying to pacify the villagers, he said. “Once normalcy returns we will allow the company to go ahead with the project work,” headded.

In the run-up to the elections, chief minister Naveen Patnaik has had to toned own his pro-industrialisation speeches in the light of protests over land acquisition in several areas.

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Reliance Retail to lay off 900 in select departments

Around 900 workers employed directly and indirectly with Reliance Retail are to get pink slips. To be laid off are employees working in its land acquisition and statutory clearance teams across the country. The layoffs are the latest in a series of setbacks faced by the organised retail sector as the global meltdown affects the Indian economy. Reliance Retail is a subsidiary of the country’s largest private sector company, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd.

According to informed sources, around half the employees slated to lose their jobs are on the company rolls while the balance are with outsourced agencies providing support services. The disbanding of the teams appears to indicate that the company does not plan any major land acquisitions in the near future.

Members of the larger land acquisition team stationed in several states are tasked with identifying and acquiring land for retail stores and SEZs.

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