The Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, took note of the “alleged” incidents of pilferage and theft of assets and equipment from the abandoned Nano project site of Tata Motors, ever since the West Bengal Government took control of the 997-acre integrated complex. The district authorities of Hooghly vested the complex late in the evening on June 21, allegedly after notification of the now-disputed Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011.
Winning a point
“Pilferage is an embarrassment to me,” Mr Justice Soumitra Pal observed and directed the district authorities to submit a report on the issue by 11 a.m. on Friday (June 24) when Tata Motors is scheduled to resume its submission challenging the legality of the Singur Act and demanding injunction on the Act as well as restoration of possession (status quo as on June 20) of Singur project area.
Moving the Court on June 22, Tata Motors reported such incidents. However, backed by an assurance from the State Government about maintenance of law and order, including protection of the ‘assets' of the company, the Court did not give any interim order or directive on Wednesday.
Resuming its submission for the second day, Tata Motors referred to visual evidence in the print and TV media on “pilferage and theft” and alleged “looting” of company's assets while under State possession.
Complication on compensation
The “pilferage” issue had a bearing on Tata Motor's arguments questioning not merely the validity of the law but also the manner in which it was implemented.
According to company counsel, Mr Soumyaditya Pal, in its haste to take possession of the company's assets, the State had not even granted the auto major a fair opportunity to claim compensation according to the provisions of the Singur Act. “Even if I am to vacate, there must be some sort of joint verification,” he said adding that no such thing was followed while vesting the company's assets.
Touching upon the controversies with regard to land acquisition issues, the company said, “the State, just because it has an Act, cannot be unreasonable”.
The Court will hear the State's arguments on Friday. The 54 vendors of Tata Motors have already participated in the litigation. The farmers who had accepted compensation for land acquisition; “unwilling farmers” (beneficiaries of the Singur Act) and many other interest groups are likely to follow suit.