The land acquisition controversy in Singur by the Tata Motors began way back in 2006. The said acquisition was for setting up a manufacturing unit for Tata’s Nano car. The acquisition aggravated the peasants and the landowners of the said area. They claimed that the employment opportunities projected by the industry were not in par with the benefits that their land provided to them. It was a clear indication that the farmers and the localities were against the land acquisition. However subsequent to these rampant protests Tata Motors scraped the Singur project and shifted the plant to Sanand in Gujarat in 2008.

In the meanwhile, the Government of West Bengal enacted the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 to return the acquired land to the original land owners. However, Tata Motors moved the court challenging the merits of the said act. As regards this, the Calcutta High Court gave its verdict on September 28th 2011, according to which the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 was held constitutional valid and the decision of the bench to return the land to their original owners was upheld. The decision was based on the ground that the provision for compensation projected as per the agreement between Company and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation was vague and uncertain. The court also remarked that the provisions for compensation should be in adherence to the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Also the Court gave Tata Motors a time limit until November 2nd to challenge this verdict.

Tata Motors Challenges Calcutta High Court Singur Issue

Legal news reported by Anupama