Date:16/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/16/stories/2008111655080500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

APIIC excludes sanctuary

Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: APIIC has informed the A.P. High Court that it has dropped the village coming under Verapuram bird sanctuary from the proposed Special Economic Zone at Chillamattur in Anantapur district.

The APIIC sent this information to Justice L. Narsimha Reddy when the High Court wanted to know how it identified lands for the proposed SEZ on Friday. The APIIC said it had informed the Collector about the exclusion of the village.

The judge was dealing with a writ petition filed by Govindappa and 66 others complaining that the APIIC had asked for advance possession of the lands up to five thousand acres in Chillamattur mandal, Anantapur district.

They said that their village was part of a bird sanctuary and hence could not be acquired. The judge on an earlier occasion asked the APIIC to explain how the lands for the SEZ were identified and what were the criteria followed and what is the proposed activity in the SEZ. When the case had come up for hearing on Friday the information regarding the dropping the village from the SEZ was given. The court expressed dismay over this and closed the case.