West Bengal Govt. asked to file affidavit in Singur land case

Kolkata, June 30 (ANI): The Calcutta High Court today directed the West Bengal Government to file an affidavit in connection with Tata Motors' petition challenging the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011 by July 8.

Justice Saumitra Pal, who directed the West Bengal Government to state its opposition by an affidavit to the petition of Tata Motors, also asked Tata Motors Ltd to file a reply to that by July 12.

Justice Pal today said that hearing on the main petition challenging the Singur Act will be held on July 14.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court stayed the return of Singur land to the farmers by the West Bengal government.

"As an interim order, we direct state government not to hand over or return land to farmers concerned until further order passed by the Calcutta High Court," a vacation bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam an A K Patnaik said.

The apex court also directed the parties to argue the merits of the case before the High Court.

Reacting to the direction of the Supreme Court, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was confident that the case would be decided in favour of the farmers.

Tata Motors had filed two special leave petitions requesting the Supreme Court to stay the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act passed by Bengal Assembly after Trinamool Congress came to power.

Mamata Banerjee had earlier announced an ordinance to reclaim land at Singur.

"We have passed an ordinance as it was a very urgent one. The Governor has signed it some time back. Through the ordinance we have returned 400 acres of land to the farmers. The government had taken this resolution before itself," Banerjee had said.

The ordinance allowed the state government the 997.11 acres of land lying with the Tatas and vendors in Singur to fulfil the promise of returning plots to disgruntled farmers.

The land had been allotted to the Tatas by the erstwhile state government ruled by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Front for building a motor car plant in the Singur area. (ANI)