The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear a plea that sought quashing of a Uttar Pradesh government notification allowing Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Power to acquire land for its proposed power project at Dadri.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan questioned the motive of Sahyog Samiti, which claimed to be an association of land owners and had filed the petition making Reliance as one of the parties.
Sahyog Samiti had challenged the notification relating to acquisition of 903.449 hectare land in seven villages of Ghaziabad district. It also alleged that farmers were not adequately compensated for the land.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Reliance, opposed the PIL and said it was politically motivated to harm the company that was coming out with its initial public offer.
"It is a Rs 10,000 crore power project at Dadri. This petition is aimed to hit me (Reliance Power) when we are planning to bring our IPO. My IPO is coming on January 15," Rohatgi contended before the Bench that also comprised Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal.
Reliance Power intends to raise almost three billion dollars through the country's biggest initial public offer.
The Bench directed the association to file details of the landowners whom it claimed to be representing.
"What cause you are promoting we don't know. It would have been fine if the landowners have approached us. You disclose us who are the land owners (represented by the association)," the bench said.
Source : Hindu.comLabels: IPO, Reliance Plant, Reliance Power, SC refuses to quash Dadri land notification for Reliance plant |
