Singur land: SC to wait and watch poll outcome

The Supreme Court on Tuesday chose to wait and watch the outcome of assembly polls in West Bengal before going into the contentious issue of land acquisition in Singur, from where the Tatas failed to roll out the world’s cheapest car, Nano.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday chose to wait and watch the outcome of assembly polls in West Bengal before going into the contentious issue of land acquisition in Singur, from where the Tatas failed to roll out the world’s cheapest car, Nano.

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The Bench was to hear a bunch of petitions challenging the acquisition of land by West Bengal government for setting up of a factory by Tata Motors for manufacturing Nano in Singur which went to polls on Tuesday. “Wait until the elections are over,” a Bench of justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik said.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had led a campaign against the acquisition of fertile land for the project which forced the Tatas to shift it to Sanand in Gujarat.

The Bench, which deferred the hearing on the matter, asked the West Bengal government to find an amicable solution with the farmers and organisations opposing acquisition of land in Singur which had witnessed violent protest in 2008. “One or the other way, you (state government) find a solution,” the Bench said while posting the matter for hearing after the summer vacation.

Prashant Bhushan, the counsel appearing for an NGO, Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, alleged that the state government had wrongly acquired the land from the farmers. “We have already challenged the entire acquisition process before the high court. The West Bengal government acquired the land for government purpose but gave to a private party (Tata).”

On October 29, 2010, the Tatas had submitted before the Supreme Court that the land allocated for the project still belongs to it, which could be used for some other purpose. “We have lost Rs500 crore. We have a valid lease and are losing money,” their advocate had said.

PTI