Ghaziabad: Over 500 farmers today approached
the district authorities seeking return of land sold to Anil
Ambani-controlled Reliance Power, but expressed inability to
repay the compensation in one-go, a government official said.
The farmers' claim follows the High Court order that
quashed a portion of the state government's 2004 notification
for purchase of land for Reliance Power's Dadri power plant.
"As many as 566 farmers have applied today... we are yet
to calculate the quantum of land claimed by them, but it could
be around 600-700 acres... the process will continue till
January 18," Additional District Magistrate (Finance)
Sarvajeet Ram said over phone.
The farmers wanted the repay the compensation amount in
instalments, saying they had spent the money, Ram said, but
added there was no specific direction in the December four
Allahabad High Court order about instalments and a view would
have to be taken by the administration.
Reliance Power has since filed a special leave petition
in the Supreme Court, appealing against the High Court order.
A Reliance Power spokesperson said the matter is before
Supreme Court and is sub-judice and declined to comment.
The Anil Ambani group company had acquired 2,200 acres of
land for the Rs 10,000 crore project.
Appearing for the farmers, advocate Ashish Pratap Singh
claimed that he filed the objections on behalf of 1,500
farmers before the Additional District Magistrate Sarvajeet
Ram and requested him for time for return of the compensation
amount.
As per the court decision, the administration had invited
objections vide an advertisement on December 19, last year and
have followed up all other necessary formalities, Ram said.
Farmers began an agitation seeking compensation for the
land on par with amount offered by the state government for
land in Noida.
The High Court partially quashed the land acquisition on
the grounds that the government side-stepped a formality of
inviting objections from land owners.
Although Reliance Power acquired the land, it had not
started work on the 7,450 MW power project citing lack of gas
-- for which it had an agreement with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 19:39