THE Madras High Court has upheld an order dated November 3, 2006, of the Industries Department, acquiring 395.87 hectares of land in Oragadam and Sennakuppam villages in Kancheepuram district for setting up special economic zones (SEZs). In their writ petitions, M Haridoss and 15 others had challenged the acquisition proceedings on various grounds. Dismissing the petitions, Justice P Jyothimani observed that there had been compliance of service of notice and hearing of petitioners' grievances.

The state government needs Rs 430 crore for the first phase in the acquisition of zerayati land spread over 9,237 acres around Kolleru lake in Krishna and East Godavari districts. The land is situated in fifth contour of Kolleru lake that is being restored after the Supreme Court's directions.

SEZ Virodhi Manch, a non-government organisation, opposing special economic zones in the state on Tueday threatened to revive its agitation, if the state government fails to denotify the three industrial enclaves which are approved and notified by the union government. "The worst fears of the SEZ Virodhi Manch are confirmed with the central government intimating that it can not denotify the three SEZs notified for Goa. The SVM has always doubted the sincerity of the government regarding the scrapping of special economic zones in Goa,' SVM's convenor Charles Fernandes said.

The Goa government has obtained two weeks' time from a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa to take a decision on its stop-work orders issued to three private developers of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The government was on Monday caught in a bind over a communication from the Centre expressing inability to denotify three of the already notified SEZs proposed to come up in Goa.

If the reactions to the Union Commerce Ministry's decision declining the Goa government's request to denotify the three SEZ's that were granted final approval

Though the Central government has refused to de-notify three Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the State government has still got a case to get the SEZ scrapped. The State government will have to inquire into fraudulent land allotments for SEZs and prove that transactions entered into were in contravention of law, suggested opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, while reacting to the Centre's refusal to heed the Goa government's demand on SEZs

The three special economic zones in Goa notified under Special Economic Zone Act 2005 have already been denotified by the people of Goa and therefore a bureaucratic order is meaningless and impractical, said Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Shantaram Naik. Reacting to the refusal by the Union Commerce Ministry to de-notify the three special economic zones, Naik said that he had no doubt that the State government will not leave the issue in wilderness and fight the battle in the interest of the people and the State.

The provision for urgent take-overs bypassing procedure is open to misuse by powerful interests.

In tune with the CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat's prescription after the panchayat poll debacles to the CPI(M)-led government to put on hold any development project vis-a-vis land acquisition drive, the West Bengal government on Tuesday declared that in face of any protest during land procurement for the Dankuni Township in Hooghly district, the entire project might be scrapped. Significantly, the state government has already put a brake on Salim Group's proposed projects in East Medinipur and North and South 24 Parganas.

The Digamber Kamat-led Goa Government will have to consesually get their way out with the SEZ promoters in the State. The Union Commerce Ministry has said that they cannot offer much help for the State Government to denotify three notified SEZs in the State. The letter came as a blow to the State Government which is currently reeling under severe political pressure to save its existence. State chief secretary JP Singh said that the Government has received such a letter and we will take the stand within a couple of days after thorough discussion on the issue.