Relief for Tatas in Singur land case

HC extends stay on the Act till disposal of Tatas’ appeal against the verdict.

A two-judge bench of the high court here has extended the stay on the trial court order validating the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act till disposal of Tata Motors' (TML) appeal against the verdict, providing temporary relief to the company.

The stay implies the Supreme Court stay on the state government from distributing the Singur land, among farmers who had been unwilling to to sell for the Nano car project but had to let go, would also continue. In an interim order on June 29, the apex court had said the state government was to hold the land and change nothing on the ground till a further order from the HC here. The SC had directed the parties to argue the case before the latter.

Later, on September 28, judge I P Mukerji of the HC had rejected Tata Motors’ petition that challenged the Act. He said the legislation was constitutional and agreed that return of land was in the public interest. However, he stayed implementation of the order till November 2, to give TML time to appeal against the verdict, if it decided to do so.

TML had moved the bench yesterday, challenging the trial court’s order and praying for continuation of the stay on the judgement. Now comes the order from a bench of judges Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Mrinal Kanti Chaudhuri, granting continuation of the stay till disposal of the TML appeal.The hearing on TML's appeal is from November 8.

State government counsel Kalyan Bandopadhyay pleaded before the bench that the stay be restricted to the 645 acres of land leased to the Tatas. The bench rejected this, as the Act challenged by TML involves the entire 997 acres leased to Tata and to other vendors.

The legislation, passed by the West Bengal legislative assembly on June 14, vested the entire 997 acres of acquired land at Singur for the abandoned Nano project, along with the existing structure, with the state government. The government wanted to return the equivalent quantum of 400 acres to the farmers who sold unwillingly.