The West Bengal government counsel on Wednesday assured a division bench of the Calcutta High Court that land distribution at Singur to the unwilling farmers will not begin overnight after Tata Motors (TML) counsel pointed out that the stay on the Singur order ended today.
As the matter was not listed for hearing today, TML's appeal against the Calcutta High Court order upholding the Singur Land Rehabilitation And Development Act, 2011, as well as the appeal for extension of the stay on distribution of land, will be heard from Thursday onwards.
TML today moved a division bench comprising Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice Mrinal Kanti Choudhury. Chief Justice of Calcutta High court, J N Patel had yesterday assigned the bench to determine the case.
On TML seeking extension of stay on the distribution of land which would expire during the day, the division bench observed that the state government is unlikely to initiate distribution of land in the next 24 hours. State government lawyers also then gave a verbal assurance that land distribution would not begin overnight.
Justice I P Mukerji, on September 28, had dismissed Tata Motors' petition that challenged the Singur Land Development and Rehabilitation Act, 2011. Justice Mukerji held the Act 'valid and constitutional' and agreed that return of land was in public interest. However, he stayed the implementation of the order till November two to give Tata Motors time to appeal against the verdict.
Beside challenging the single bench ruling that upheld the Singur land return Act, TML has also sought an order in the appeal that the Supreme Court's stay order in June, restraining the state government from distributing the Singur land among “unwilling” farmers, remain in effect till the appeals are disposed off.
“The status quo should remain in the matter. The interim protection which was given to us by the Supreme Court. This is required until the matter is disposed off. The bench said it would like to see the Supreme Court order. The case will be opened tomorrow,” Siddhartha Mitra, a counsel of TML, said.
