Adani moves SC against stay on construction at Mundra SEZ

NEW DELHI: The Adani Group on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking vacation of the stay order that stalled work at its Rs 7,400-crore multi-product Special Economic Zone in Gujarat.

A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday after the Adani group mentioned it.

The bench, on a plea by fishermen that the project would affect their livelihood and flora and fauna in the region, had last week directed the parties to maintain status quo with regards to all activities taking place on the land.

It had also issued notice to the ministries of commerce, and environment and forest, the Gujarat government, Mundra Ports and Special Economic Zone, the Adani group and others.

Mundra SEZ, established under the SEZ Act of 2005, is proposed to come up in about 6,000 acres of land with a total investment of Rs 7,400 crore.

Pointing out that all the allegations against its SEZ were baseless and aimed at pressurising it for illegal gains, Adani counsel Harish Salve and Ankur Chawla said the company had not indulged in land grabbing but had acquired the land strictly in accordance with law after giving a public hearing and paying compensation and premium for rehabilitation.

According to the company, the Mundra Port is a running port since 1998 and all the activities of loading and unloading, which require constant maintenance and upgrading, were being undertaken in accordance with law and after obtaining necessary permission and environmental clearances.

The application added that the group had already invested over Rs 3,500 crore in port development and planned to invest another Rs 4,000 crore in phases. Besides, the projected total investment in port, SEZ and power plants was Rs 50,000 crore, it added.