Calcutta High Court upholds Singur Act, farmers to get back land

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday upheld the Mamata Banerjee government's Singur Land Rehabilitation Act , which allows transfer of land given to Tata Motors for its Nano plant back to the plot owners, as valid.

The court directed Tata Motors to return the land within six months.

Tata Motors had challenged the constitutional validity of the Singur Land Rehabilitation Act. On its appeal, the Supreme Court had stayed distribution of land at the Tata Nano factory site in Singur until the Calcutta High Court ruled on the issue.

The hearing in the case was concluded on September 16.

Tata Motors had to shift its Nano plant from Singur to Sanand in Gujarat in October 2008 following continuing protests against land acquisition for the plant.

The Singur Land Rehabilitation Act was passed in June to allow takeover of 600 acres leased to Tata Motors for the Nano plant.

Courtesy: Headlines Today

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

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This picturesque town in West Bengal's Hooghly district has long turned into political hot potato over Tata's land acquisition. Kushan Mitra tells the villagers' side of the story.

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Work on Tata Motors' Rs 1-lakh car plant is progressing fast at Singur. And contrary to popular perception, the agitation against it is slowly petering out. Ritwik Mukherjee reports from the spot.

Why Tatas want Singur
What is it about Singur that made the Tatas want it so badly? Here's a BT guide to the region, its land, its politics, its inhabitants, and their gripes.

Singed by Singur
As the Tata Motors drama plays out, should West Bengal worry over future investments?