SC asks Haryana and Punjab government to file a PIL
The Supreme Court last day had asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to adjudicate a PIL by Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi seeking quashing of laws enacted by Haryana and the Centre to facilitate the setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Kuldeep Bishnoi had also filed the PIL in the apex court, but a Bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha said it would be better if the case was first decided by the High Court as the apex court would have the benefit of High Court’s views while hearing the appeal, if any.
The Supreme Court had also sent to the respective state High Courts similar PILs and other cases against SEZ projects in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states. According to Kuldeep Bishnoi, the Haryana government had approved over 50 SEZ projects and most of these have still remained non-starters and vast tracts of land acquired from farmers for these projects were being diverted to be used in the purpose private property developers, giving rise to speculative trading in real estate at the cost of poor people, who were forced to part with their precious land.
Source: The Tribune
