SC rejects plea challenging land acquisition for Nano project

The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea challenging the land acquisition by Gujarat government for Tata Motors Nano car project.

The apex court questioned the locus standi of an NGO and its head in opposing the project which was aimed at producing the cheapest four-wheeler. "You don't want industrialisation?" a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices J M Panchal and B S Chauhan told the petitioners.

When the NGO Rashtriya Kisan Dal's chief H K Thaker alleged around 1100 acres of fertile agricultural land of 4000 farmers have been given to Tata Motors at Rs 410 crore by Gujarat government, the Bench fired a volley of questions at him for filing the public interest lititgation (PIL).

"How have you come to the court? Do you know whether people, whose land has been acquired have been awarded compensation or not?" the Bench said.

When he replied in negative, the Bench questioned his bonafide for approaching the court. "Then why have you come here? Your bonafide is also doubtful," the Bench said.

It also noted that though the land for the project, which was shifted by the company from Singur in West Bengal after largescale protests, was on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the NGO from Surendranagar was opposing the land acquisition.

The NGO had submitted that the state government should have alloted barren land to the company either at Dwarka, Kutch or Surendranagar.