Dadri land acquisition: No relief for R-Power

The Supreme Court today did not pass any order on a petition filed by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict quashing Uttar Pradesh Government's notification to acquire land for the company’s 8,000 MW Dadri power project.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan posted the matter for hearing on January 29 as some of the farmers had filed a caveat and were given the opportunity to contest the appeal filed by Reliance Power.

No sooner senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi started making submissions on behalf of Reliance Power, advocate M L Sharma said he was appearing for some of the farmers who have filed the caveat and opposed the hearing for granting stay against the High Court verdict.

Rohatgi said he has no objection for the caveators to be heard.

However, during the hearing, the Anil Ambani-led company alleged that the petition against the land acquisition for the project was motivated and a result of corporate rivalry which was seen in the gas dispute recently in the apex court.

He said the allottment of the land for the project was challenged four years after it was cleared by the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Rohatgi said that in most of the cases, farmers have withdrawn the amount of compensation for the land.

The High Court had said that State Government had side-stepped a provision inviting objections from land owners while coming out with the notification for using emergency powers to acquire land for the company.