Over 1,800 farmers have submitted applications for return of land once ‘forcibly' acquired for the now-abandoned Tata small car factory at Singur in West Bengal. The farmers – 1,807 of them according to Government sources – have applied for return of acquired land under the provisions in the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act. The notification and appended list of farmers put up, however, do not mention the ‘quantum of land' to be allotted to them.
It may be recalled that the State Government had begun the process of return of land on June 26 when forms were distributed to ‘unwilling' farmers. According to officials in block development officer's (BDO) office, the applications will be categorised under three heads that include those with clear land titles, those with disputed land titles and those who do not have valid papers. Land survey and measurement processes were, however, carried out as usual on Monday.