Vesting land at Singur not violative of Article 14: WB govt

The West Bengal government today said that the Singur Land Development and Rehabilitation Act 2011 by which the land was vested by the state was not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

Appearing for the state's Land and Land Revenue department against Tata Motors' challenge of the Act, senior counsel Saktinath Mukherjee submitted before Justice IP Mukerji that the Singur Act was not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before law.

Citing the Burma Shell Nationalisation Act and Esso Nationalisation Act, Mukerji submitted that such laws concerning a single company were made in several cases earlier.

He stated that the land at Singur had been given to Tata Motors for generating jobs and socio-economic development of the area.

But as it failed to commission the plant and then relocated the Nano car plant to Gujarat, the West Bengal government decided to enact the Singur Act to vest the land, he stated.

The matter was adjourned for the day and would be taken up for hearing again tomorrow.