Essel group may drop Gorai SEZ

Seeking open dialogue, group says vested interests are misguiding locals

MUMBAI: Essel Infra Projects, which plans to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) in Gorai on the outskirts of Mumbai, has offered to withdraw from the project in the wake of local opposition that, it says, has been instigated by vested interests.

Essel Infra Projects is part of the FMCG-to-media Essel group conglomerate, which also co-owns DNA.

Essel chairman Subhash Chandra said he appreciated the concerns of Cardinal Oswal Gracias about preservation of local culture and displacement of ethnic groups. He said the Gorai SEZ project is designed to showcase local culture. “We recognise this need and hence want to preserve the Gorai region for future generations, otherwise it will be taken over by the builder lobby and unscrupulous anti-local elements,” he said.

“Let there be a sincere and open dialogue under the auspices of the Church and the government, and if the community is still not convinced, Essel will be happy to withdraw from the project,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Essel says it believes the project would benefit the entire community and provide a  higher standard of living to future generations.

The company said it is sensitive to the fears of the  villagers and has taken a
position that if, after understanding its proposed SEZ plan, the villagers still think the project will infringe on their rights, the company was ready to drop the project.  

The whole belt from Manori to Uttan, including Gorai, was declared as a Recreation and Tourism Development Zone (RTDZ) by the government in 1999 and many groups/villagers deposed before the government for and against the proposed development.

Nilesh Mistry, senior vice-president, corporate affairs, Essel Infra, alleged that outside activists were misguiding the locals. “Activists such as Medha Patkar, Ulka Mahajan, Surekha Dalvi and others are complete outsiders to this region. They are clueless on the norms regarding development of the region and we would like to ask them if they have done anything by way of economic development that has benefited the local community in this region? We are open to withdraw from the project, but will the villagers be able to handle the means deployed by the builder lobby?”

Essel has also clarified that the entire development of Essel World, Water Kingdom and the Pagoda has been within the rules and regulations laid down by law. The Essel SEZ project is conceived to remain within the RTDZ regulations by using wasteland and Essel land with no displacement of gaothans or heritage precincts in this region.