Court Rejects PIL Challenging Land Alottment to Larsen and Toubro

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected a petition challenging the allocation of 160 hectares of land to Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) in Hazira area of Gujarat's Surat district.

A division bench of justices Akil Kureshi and J B Pardiwala rejected the PIL since it was filed after a delay of around seven years after allocation of the last chunk of land measuring 80 hectares.

Petitioner Mohammed Rehmat Khan challenged allocation of 160 hectares of land to L&T at Hazira in Surat.

"In fact, almost six chunks of land have been allotted to L&T and around 80 hectares whose market price was more than Rs 2,600 per square metre was allotted at a rate of Rs 700 and 80 more hectares were allotted at a price of Re 1 per square metre," the petitioner had claimed in his PIL.

As per the petitioner's advocate, chunks of land were first allocated in 1983 and then in 2006. The PIL demanded the cancellation of land allotment to L&T and an independent inquiry to probe anomalities in the land allocation.

However, L&T contended that the first allocation of land was done in the year 1983 to promote industries in Gujarat.

On behalf of L&T, senior advocate Sudheer Nanavati submitted that the company was given 30 per cent discount while allocating 80 hectares of land for Rs 700 per square, as against its market rate of Rs 925 per square metre.

This discount was given because the L&T unit was the only manufacturing unit producing equipment for nuclear plants and defence purposes, Mr Nanavati had submitted. He raised the point of delay in filing the PIL and said that the last allocation was made in 2006, while the petitioner challenged it only in the year 2013.

The Gujarat government maintained that land allocation was done as per provisions of the law and no favour was made to any industrial house.

After hearing arguments of all sides, the High Court rejected the PIL and disposed of the case.