SEZ Farmers Protection Welfare Association, an NGO, had petitioned the Supreme Court on Special Economic Zone (SEZ) land—acquired from farmers for industry by governments—lying unused.

The complaint was that state governments had acquired 50,000 acres of land for setting up of SEZs, but all such lands still lie vacant. The land was allotted to top companies by the governments. The complainant alleged that these companies, instead of availing of SEZ facilities and setting up industrial units, took loans from banks against such land and invested the money in other businesses elsewhere.

The complainant said that the central government had full knowledge of what was going on, but did nothing about it.

The court had asked for responses from the states, but on Friday (August 4) no state had filed its response.

The court then asked the matter to be listed for final disposal and said that if the states do not file their response by that date then it will be deemed that they do not want to file any response.

—India Legal Bureau