Team Herald
PANJIM: The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) affected villagers have vehemently opposed the e-auction planned by the government authorities despite the Supreme Court directions that “all parties to maintain status quo as of today”.
SEZ Virodhi Manch (SVM) convenor Franky Monteiro has now a legal notice to the Chief Minister, Industries Minister, the Chief Secretary and the Managing Director of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) requesting them to desist from carrying out the e-auction as it would amount to contempt of court.
It may be recalled that the Goa government in 2006 through the GIDC had allotted approximately 38.5 lakh square metres of land for setting up industrial estates in the Verna Phase IV, Keri-Ponda and Sancoale, to SEZ promoters to set up SEZs in the State.
The affected villagers under the banner of SEZ Virodhi Manch had then protested the blatant allotment of lands. Subsequently, Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petitions were filed in the Bombay High Court at Goa in 2008 praying for setting aside of the allotments; accountability from officials involved in the fraudulent allotments and return of the lands back to the original owners.
The High Court by an order dated November 26, 2010 disposed off the petitions setting aside all the SEZ allotments made by the GIDC. The order however, remained silent on the other two prayers of the villagers.
When the SEZ companies appealed before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order, Monteiro and others filed a counter appeal before the Apex Court praying that the remaining two prayers be granted. The Supreme Court passed an order on January 10, 2011 in the batch of eight appeals directing “all the parties to maintain status quo as of today”.
According to Monteiro, although some appeals were disposed off by the Supreme Court vide order dated July 31, 2018 allowing the GIDC to take back the lands after refunding the amounts paid by five SEZ promoters with interest. However, the appeal filed by villagers before the Supreme Court is still pending and the status quo order still persists. Thus, the e-auction planned by the government will be in contempt of the Supreme Court, he said.
