CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government plans to build a global city on the 1,383-acre land in Garhi Harsaru in Gurgaon, which was given to the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries to set up the country’s biggest special economic zone. The state government had acquired the land from farmers in 2006, however, with the SEZ project getting shelved, Reliance has decided to return the land.

According to a government source, the massive chunk of land would be developed as independent industrial node, apart from provision for an exhibition-cum-convention centre. The Haryana cabinet would take a decision on the proposal on Friday.

Additional chief secretary (industries), Y S Malik said the proposed project would be an eco-smart city and would be jointly developed by the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Haryana government. The state would provide land while DMIC would provide funding for raising infrastructure, a source said. “DMIC will help engage international-level architects to design the project,” Malik said.

An exhibition-cum-convention (ECC) centre would also be part of the project, said Malik, adding this was proposed when the state government had submitted its proposal about SEZ to the Centre a few years ago.

“It would be a high-technology infused area, which would have high innovation and knowledge industries. The idea is to bring high-value technology and industry together,” Malik said.

The SEZ project was a joint venture between Reliance Ventures Ltd (RVL) and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC). In January 2012, Haryana asked RVL to return 1,383 acres land after the project failed to take off and was denotified by the Union government.

During protests, SEZ farmers, who had given their land at throwaway price, had claimed their agricultural fields were acquired by the government for public purpose, but later it gave the land to Reliance.

Recently, Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh had also said that the state government should return the land to the farmers.

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