SEZ case hearing adjourned to Feb 9

TNN 2 December 2009, 05:25am IST
PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Monday adjourned the hearing of petitions pertaining to the special economic zones (SEZ) to February 9, 2010.
A division bench comprising Justice V K Tahilramani and Justice N A Britto deferred the hearing of the petitions filed by six SEZ promoters—Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, Peninsular Pharma Research Centre Pvt Ltd, Paradigm Logistic & Distribution Private Ltd, Planetview Mercantile Company Pvt Ltd, Inox Mercantile Company Pvt Ltd and Maxgrow Finlease Pvt Ltd—challenging the show cause notices issued by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) over the withdrawal of land allotted to them (promoters) after the state government changed its SEZ policy. While adjourning the hearings, the bench directed the state government to file its reply to the amended petitions by January 9, 2010. Further, the SEZ promoters have been directed to file their rejoinder to the government's reply, if any, within two weeks thereafter. The court had on July 27 allowed the petitioners to amend their petitions in view of the withdrawal of the SEZ policy by the state government on June 15. The government had not filed any reply to these amended petitions. While adjourning the hearing of the petitions, the bench told the advocates appearing on behalf of the petitioners and the respondents that no further adjournments would be granted, and also that the bench was inclined to take up the petitions for final disposal on February 9. The SEZ promoters in their petitions pleaded that since they invested heavily in the projects, they suffered huge losses after stop-work orders were issued by the state government. Meanwhile, on February 9, the court will also hear the public interest litigations filed by the villagers of Keri, Sancoale and Verna, challenging GIDC's decision to allot land in their respective villages on lease agreements to the SEZ promoters. The villagers have complained that the land was allotted fraudulently.