 "The Singur Saga: A timeline")
The Supreme Court could bring the curtains down on the Singur case today, five years after the West Bengal government filed an appeal against a Calcutta High Court order striking down the Singur Land Act - unless it is moved to a Constitution Bench as requested by the Tata group. A quick run of events:
May18, 2006 :Tata Motors announces Nano plant in Singur, West Bengal
July 18, 2006: Mamata sows paddy near Singur as a mark of protest
January 21, 2007: Tata Motors starts construction of small car plant in West Bengal
December 3, 2007:Mamata Banerjee announces indefinite hunger strike on Singur issue
December 19, 2007: Tata Motors announces launch of Nano (people’s car) at Delhi auto expo on January 10, 2008
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December 28, 2007:Mamata Banerjee ends fast
January 18, 2008 : Calcutta High Court upholds Singur land acquisition, says it is legal
February 15, 2008:Tatas announce first Nano to be rolled out of Singur by October
March 4, 2008:Tata Motors presents the Nano at the Geneva Motor Show
May 21, 2008:TMC wins majority in panchayat elections
August 24, 2008 :Mamata Banerjee starts indefinite dharna at Singur
September 2, 2008: Tata Motors suspends work on Nano Plant at Singur
September 3:Gopal Krishna Gandhi plays mediator; state government, TMC agree to resolve issue
September 5, 2008: Bengal government and TMC start negotiations
September 7, 2008:Talks break down
October 3, 2008: Tata Motors decides to move out of Singur
October 7, 2008: Tata Motors announces new Nano Plant in Sanand, Gujarat
September 1, 2009: Ratan Tata raises the issue of compensation with the Bengal government
May 20, 2011:Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Bengal CM, announces first cabinet decision to return 400 acres to unwilling farmers
June 9, 2011: Passes an ordinance, takes over 997 acres citing non-performance by Tata Motors.
June 10, 2011: Bengal govt goes back on ordinance.
June 14, 2011: Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011 passed in the legislative assembly
June 22, 2011: Tata Motors moves Calcutta High Court challenging the Bill
June 29, 2011: Supreme Court directs Bengal govt not to distribute land at Singur till further order from Calcutta High Court
September 28, 2011: Single-bench Calcutta High Court (Justice I P Mukerji) upholds the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011
October 29, 2011: Tata Motors challenges the order of the Calcutta High Court
June 22, 2012: The Divison Bench of the Calcutta High Court strikes down the Bill
August 6, 2012: The West Bengal government moves the Supreme Court, challenging the Calcutta High Court order striking down the Singur Land Act
August 24, 2012: Supreme Court seeks response of Tata Motors on a special leave petition filed by the West Bengal government, challenging the rejection of the Singur Land Acquisition Act by the Calcutta High Court. A bench of H L Dattu and C K Prasad says the Calcutta High Court's interim order would continue
July 10, 2013: SC asks Tata Motors to consider returning the land as the company had already moved its car plant out of Singur
Nov 12, 2013: Tata Motors tells SC, it wants to retain land in Singur for the Nano project
May 5, 2016: SC observes Left Front-led Bengal govt rushed through the land acquisition process