Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the Calcutta High Court order upholding land allocation to Tata group to set up a car plant at Singur in West Bengal. The apex court held that the acquisition could not be said to be for a “public purpose” and hence the land should be remitted back to farmers within 12 weeks. Farmers who got compensation from the government will not return it because they were deprived of their livelihood for the last ten years, the court said.
Here is what happened in the case:
The CPM led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya came back to power in West Bengal in 2006 and the state government announced in May that year that Tata would setup a car manufacturing unit to roll-out its Nano model for which close to 1000 acres of land would be allocated. Trinamool chief Mamata Benarjee kicked up a storm and started to protest against the acquisition of land by the Tata group.
The following year, in 2007, Tata however started construction of the plant in Singur. Mamata Benarjee paced up the protest by announcing indefinite hunger strike on the issue but later broke her 25-day fast in December 2007. Tata Motors announced the launch of Nano at Delhi auto expo on January 10, 2008.
WATCH VIDEO: Singur Verdict: SC Quashes Acquisition, Orders Bengal Govt To Return Land In 12 Weeks
In 2008, The Calcutta High Court upheld the land allocation by the government to Tata saying it wasn’t illegal. Tata had announced to push its first Nano car out of Singur. Mamata resumed her protest which led to talks between the Bengal government and TMC. Facing opposition, Tata finally announced to move its plant to Sanand in Gujarat citing security reasons to continue production in Singur.
In 2011, Mamata Benarjee stormed to power halting the Left government’s rule in the state. Her protest “Save Farmland” against the Singur land allocation and the one against Nandigram violence were said to be one of the reasons to revive her political career in the state. After assuming power, Mamata made her first Cabinet decision to return 400 acres of land to “unwilling farmers”. The TMC-led government passed Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011. Soon after, Tata moved Calcutta High Court challenging the Bill. The HC upheld the Bill following which Tata moved the court again challenging its orders.
In 2012, a Division bench of the Calcutta High Court struck down the bill after the West Bengal government moved Supreme Court challenging the HC order. The apex court had sought response of Tata Motors on a special leave petition filed by the West Bengal government, challenging the rejection of the Singur Land Acquisition Act by the Calcutta High Court. A bench of H L Dattu and C K Prasad said the Calcutta High Court’s interim order would continue.
In 2013, the Supreme Court asked Tata Motors to consider returning the land as the company had already moved its car plant out of Singur. Tata Motors told SC that it wanted to retain land in Singur for the Nano project.
In May 2016, the SC observed that the Left Front-led Bengal government rushed through the land acquisition process. On August 31, the Supreme Court quashed the land acquisition to Tata by CPM government in 2006, setting aside the Calcutta High Court order.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
