More farmers seek Dadri land return from R-Power

As many as 605 farmers approached the district authorities here today, taking the total number of those seeking return of land sold to Anil Ambani group's Reliance Power (R-Power) in Dadri to 1,171.

The claims, the second such after 566 land owners moved the authorities on January 13, follows the December four Allahabad 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.

"605 applications were received today, but we are yet to quantify the size of land being reclaimed," Additional District Magistrate (Finance) Sarvajeet Ram told PTI over phone.

The window for filing applications for return of land will remain open till January 18.

R-Power has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, appealing against the High Court order.

An R-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.

Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ramesh Kumar told PTI that he has assured farmers that "land will be returned to them if they are ready to return the compensation amount paid to them".

Over 500 farmers had earlier approached the district authorities seeking return of land sold to R-Power, but expressed their inability to repay the compensation in one-go.

The Allahabad High Court on December 4 had partially quashed the land acquisition by the company on the grounds that the government side-stepped a formality of inviting objections from land owners.