Tata Motors to challenge Singur land order today

Tata Motors will challenge the Calcutta High Court order upholding the validity of the Singur Land and Rehabilitation and Development Act. The company on Monday filed an appeal in the division bench and the matter would be heard from tomorrow.

Judge I P Mukherji had found the Act constitutional and valid in his September 28 order, but anticipating discontent, had stayed its operation till November 2, as the court was breaking for a vacation.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said the state government would begin distributing land once the status quo was over. But with the company challenging the order, an extension of status quo was likely to be sought.

Tata Motors had moved the high court on June 22, a day after the Singur Act — that revoked the lease agreement between the company and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and vested the entire 997 acres — was notified, challenging the Act on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, illegal and bad in law.

Though the order provided some succour to the company in terms of guidelines for compensation, something left vague in the Act, Tata was looking to get back its land at Singur. The automobile major had to shift its Nano small car plant to Gujarat owing to protests by farmers led by the Trinamool Congress that sought the return of 400 acres taken from those who were reportedly unwilling to part with their lands.

Not just Tata Motors, “willing” land losers were also expecting the high court to take up its case, which means that the handover of land to “unwilling” land losers was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Even vendors are likely to file an appeal for an extension of stay.

Legal tangles aside, Banerjee was weaving plans for the land at Singur. On Saturday, she announced that Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and Indian Railways were keen to set up a metro coach factory. Even though the 997 acres had been taken by the state government, Banerjee had demanded returning of 400 acres to “unwilling farmers” while the balance would be reserved for industrial projects.