Singur land row: SC notice to Tata Motors

The West Bengal government had moved the apex court against the high court order,which had struck down the Singur Land Acquisition Act that allowed the state government to reclaim 400 acres of land given to Tata Motors.

In its appeal,filed through advocate Abhijit Sen Gupta,the state government had said the high court has erred in quashing the Act.

The high court had on June 22 ruled that the legislation enacted by the West Bengal government to recover the land leased to Tata Motors in Singur for its Nano small car project was constitutionally invalid.

he Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 had sought to empower the state government to take back 400 acres of land given to Tata Motors for its car project.

The court,on an appeal by Tata Motors Ltd,had observed that the President’s assent had not been taken for the Act and as such it was void and unconstitutional.

The implementation of the order was,however,stayed for two months by the division bench of the high court to allow the aggrieved party to file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The division bench had set aside the order of a single judge which had held the Act to be constitutional.

Singur law valid,claims Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee today claimed the Singur land acquisition law framed by her government was ‘valid’.

“Singur law is valid and we are happy at the Supreme Court order,” Banerjee told reporters at the airport after returning here from Delhi.

“This is a victory of the farmers and the victory of Ma-Mati-Manush (mother-earth-humanity),” she said after the Supreme Court sought the Tata Motors’ response on a special leave petition filed by her government challenging its quashing by the Calcutta High Court.

She said the land at Singur was now with the state government “which will determine its distribution as per its policy.”

She recalled that she had gone on a hunger-strike for 26 days during the Singur movement and said “the state government is seized with the interest of farmers.”

She said the Centre was contemplating framing a new land policy after her movement in Singur.