The Calcutta High Court will, today, hear a petition filed by Tata Motors challenging the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 under which the Mamata government has taken over the land leased to it by the Buddha government.
The Tatas went to the Chief Justice late last evening and informed him that an unlisted motion would be moved praying that the land should not be taken away.
Tata Motors also rejected the charge of abandonment of land that was made in the bill passed in the Assembly last week to take back the land leased to them.
The petition says the lease between Tata Motors and the government continues to exist.
Asked which part of the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011, would they will be challenging, S Pal, who is representing Tata Motors, said, "We are challenging the whole act."
The Singur Land Bill was passed in the state Assembly on June 14, amid a walkout by the Opposition Left parties, by voice vote along with some amendments brought by the government. (Read: Singur Land Bill passed in West Bengal Assembly)
It had also received Governor M K Narayanan's assent.
Effectively, the Mamata Banerjee government has acquired all of the 997.11 acres of land that the previous Left government had leased to Tata Motors. Out of that, around 400 acres belong to farmers. The other 600 acres that were leased, Ms Banerjee has said, will be "kept open for industry... the Tatas can set up industry if they want. If they (Tata) demand compensation without going in for industry on these 600 acres, we will give them compensation through legal means by appointing an arbitrator."
In Singur, the police have moved in at the project site and have taken over the land. The security staff posted at the site has been asked to vacate the site, and is being allowed to camp outside the site for the night.
Farmers in Singur plan to hold victory rallies around factory site on Wednesday.
(With PTI inputs)
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