Bombay High Court Grants Interim Relief to Tata Power Company against State of Maharashtra’s Attempt to Acquire Operational Land in Pune District
10.05.2025
SKV Law Offices successfully represented Tata Power Company Limited (“TPCL”) before the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay in securing critical interim relief in a writ petition challenging the coercive attempt by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (“MIDC”) to forcibly acquire TPCL’s land and water reservoir through wrongful exercise of powers under Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation Act, 1961.
The land—integral to Tata Power’s Hydro Power operations—has been in continuous possession of TPCL since 1911–1930, acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, for the specific public purpose of establishing its Hydro Power Station. For over a century, this facility has provided clean and renewable energy to the State of Maharashtra.
Despite the public purpose being served by the land and water reservoir in question, the Department of Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining issued acquisition notifications in March 2025, followed by show-cause notices under Section 32(2) of the MIDC Act, 1961—purportedly at the behest of a private party.
Tata Power challenged the proposed acquisition as it was outside the statutory mandate of the State Authorities under the MIDC Act, 1961. Further, Tata Power had argued that the land in question remains critical to TPCL’s current Hydro Power Station thereby serving its public purpose and as it was also earmarked for a strategically important 1000 MW Pumped Hydro Storage Project—which is important for sustainable power development in the country.
The High Court’s grant of interim relief is of great significance as it not only protects Tata Power’s existing Hydro Power Project operations, but it also restrains acquisition of ecologically sensitive areas for private benefit.
Tata Power Company Limited was represented before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court by Sr. Adv. Aspi Chinoy and Sr. Adv. Prateek Seksaria, assisted by Shri Venkatesh (Founding Partner), Shryeshth Ramesh Sharma (Partner), Ashutosh Shrivastava (Partner), Siddharth Nigotia (Senior Associate), Manu Tiwari (Senior Associate) and Kartikay Trivedi (Associate).