Activists begin agitation against Mumbai SEZ

A spokesperson of the committee, Vaishali Patil, told Business Standard: "Last year, we were assured by the state government that the villages coming under the command area of Hetavne dam, which cover around 8,000 acres of land, will be excluded from the notification for the land acquisition for the SEZ. However, despite several reminders and agitations, the state government did not act on its assurance. Therefore, we were left with no option but resort to indefinite hunger strike."

"Though our demand is that the state government should withdraw notification for the land acquisition, our immediate demand is that the state should act on its assurance given last year," she added.
 

Although the state government had assured that no forcible land acquisition would be made, it did not withdraw the notification for land acquisition, leaving the farmers with no choice but to sell the land to Reliance, she pointed out.

It may be recalled that the Reliance Industries promoted Mumbai SEZ is coming up over 10,000 hectares of area in 35 villages of Raigad district, on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai.

Meanwhile it is learnt that Patil and other leaders of the agitation were called by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for discussion late in the evening. The agitators accepted Deshmukh's invitation.