Hearing for returning land acquired for Maha Mumbai SEZ should be complete in 3 months: Minister Subhash Desai

Subhash Desai. File Photo

The ongoing hearing for returning lands acquired from farmers for the now-scrapped Maha Mumbai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) should be complete in three months, Maharashtra Industries Minister Subhash Desai said on Monday.

Desai, a Shiv Sena leader, made the comments while replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar in the Assembly.

The minister said the government had acquired 1,504 hectares of land in Pen, Panvel and Uran in Raigad district for the now-scrapped project.

Speaking in the Assembly, Shelar asked when the hearing would be completed.

"The hearings at the level of the district collector should be complete in three months. If need be, we are ready to hold a meeting on the issue," Desai said.

He said the company concerned does not seem to have any interest in implementing the project.

The land acquisition procedure for the SEZ was started in May 2006.

In September 2008, the state government conducted a referendum, in which the villagers voted against the project.

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