Kolkata: Hailing the court verdict in the Singur land dispute, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday called it "a victory of the people" that would pave the way for return of land to farmers.
"It is a historic event not only for Singur or the country but for the whole world. The Singur movement will forever be an example of struggle and victory for the world," Banerjee said.
Earlier, the Calcutta High Court upheld the validity and constitutionality of the Singur Land Act passed by the West Bengal government led by Banerjee.
Delivering the judgement in a packed court room, Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherjee rejected the plea of Tata Motors challenging the legislation and ruled it was enacted in a valid manner.
All the actions taken by the government under the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act were also valid, the court ruled.
Justice Mukherjee, however, said the company was entitled to compensation which shall be ascertained by the District Judge, Hooghly.
Order stayed
The judge stayed the order unconditionally till November 2 for the Durga Puja vacation and to give sufficient time to the parties to seek further legal redress. The district magistrate and superintendent of police, Hooghly, have been appointed special officers to supervise peaceful removal of belongings from the original Tata Nano plant premises within two months from November 2.
To a query from the company's counsel Samaraditya Pal on whether re-distribution of land could start immediately as the petition had been disposed of, the judge clarified that there would be a stay on all actions under the Act till November 2. The automobile major had shifted its Singur operations to Sanand in Gujarat in October 2008, succumbing to protests by farmers led by the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress that sought the return of 400 acres taken from farmers reportedly unwilling to part with their land.
The Singur movement reversed the Trinamool's sliding electoral fortunes and it went from strength to strength over the next three years to unseat the Left Front from power.
"It is a historic event not only for Singur or the country but for the whole world. The Singur movement will forever be an example of struggle and victory for the world," Banerjee said.
Earlier, the Calcutta High Court upheld the validity and constitutionality of the Singur Land Act passed by the West Bengal government led by Banerjee.
Delivering the judgement in a packed court room, Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherjee rejected the plea of Tata Motors challenging the legislation and ruled it was enacted in a valid manner.
All the actions taken by the government under the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act were also valid, the court ruled.
Justice Mukherjee, however, said the company was entitled to compensation which shall be ascertained by the District Judge, Hooghly.
Order stayed
The judge stayed the order unconditionally till November 2 for the Durga Puja vacation and to give sufficient time to the parties to seek further legal redress. The district magistrate and superintendent of police, Hooghly, have been appointed special officers to supervise peaceful removal of belongings from the original Tata Nano plant premises within two months from November 2.
To a query from the company's counsel Samaraditya Pal on whether re-distribution of land could start immediately as the petition had been disposed of, the judge clarified that there would be a stay on all actions under the Act till November 2. The automobile major had shifted its Singur operations to Sanand in Gujarat in October 2008, succumbing to protests by farmers led by the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress that sought the return of 400 acres taken from farmers reportedly unwilling to part with their land.
The Singur movement reversed the Trinamool's sliding electoral fortunes and it went from strength to strength over the next three years to unseat the Left Front from power.
