About 4,500 landowners in Panvel, Pen and Uran in the Raigad district of Maharashtra are gearing up to cast 'votes' in the country's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) referendum on September 21, the outcome of which will be factored in by the district administration to decide on the Maha Mumbai SEZ promoted by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani. The promoters of the SEZ -- which got in-principle approval in June 2007 -- filed a petition in the Bombay High Court today challenging the referendum.

Of the 24 villages that come under the proposed SEZ, 22 will participate in the referendum. These are villages that will get water from the Hetawane irrigation project which will be ready in a year.

While Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, whose Ministry handles land acquisition, said the referendum was Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's idea, Raigad collector Nipun Vinayak said not all villagers are satisfied with the compensation and there were demands to keep these 22 villages out of the project area. The official package is Rs 10 lakh per acre plus a permanent job or an additional payment of Rs 3 lakh plus 12 per cent of the land or an additional payment of Rs 5 lakh.

A Reliance Maha Mumbai SEZ spokesperson said the group did not want to comment as it “has no role to play in the referendum.”

“To take into account the demands of landowners in these villages, we placed public notices and we are now seeking people's opinion,” Vinayak told The Indian Express. “We have sought the opinion of the state Irrigation Department about the potential of the land. We expect the entire exercise to be completed in 10-15 days after which we will submit the report to the government.” Asked about the petition today, Vinayak said: “Yes, they have filed a petition and we will be filing our say.”

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