Singur: Tata Motors to move Supreme Court

In a late night statement,the Tata Motors said it had decided to agitate the matter before the Supreme Court against steps taken by the West Bengal government on Singur.

In a late night statement on Monday,the Tata Motors said it had decided to agitate the matter before the Supreme Court against steps taken by the West Bengal government on Singur.

Explaining the circumstances for moving the apex court in the matter,the company stated: As per conventions established in the country when a matter is being heard at a court of law,the parties concerned,more so when the party is the State,should not alter the existing state of facts in the matter,and the undue haste being shown by the Government is not conducive to upholding the rule of law.

During the hearing on the matter since June 24,the Tata Motorss counsel,in the light of media reports of distribution of land,had requested the Advocate General to agree that status quo as regards distribution of land be maintained in view of ongoing hearing. In response,the Advocate General had said while it was not possible for him to respond right away,he would think it over the weekend and communicate during the hearing on Monday.

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However,even as Tata Motors awaited the communication,there were reports on Saturday (June 25) and Sunday (June 26) that the West Bengal Government had taken further steps towards distribution of land out of the plot at Singur. The company had drawn the Courts attention to these reports, the statement said.

Earlier in the day,a Division Bench of the High Court turned down a fresh plea by the Tata Motors to stop distribution of land to Singur farmers.

Later,the West Bengal government filed a caveat in the Supreme Court so that it does not pass any order without hearing its arguments if the company decided to move the apex court. Hearing on the Tata petition challenging the Singur Bill will,however,continue in the High Court.

Tata Motorss counsel Samarditya Pal first moved a fresh petition before a single HC Bench,saying the state government had already initiating a move to distribute land among farmers. Pal said if the state government started distributing land,the companys petition challenging the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act would become infructuous.

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The Tata counsel said the Bench had been hearing the petition for the last few days and it should restrain the state government from distributing land to the farmers at this stage. Pal requested Justice Soumitra Pal to pass an interim order without hearing the state governments arguments.

Following the submission,Justice Soumitra Pal asked Advocate General Anindya Mitra about the current status.

Following Mitras reply,Justice Pal refused to pass any order but said it would hear the petition challenging the Singur Act.

Tata counsel Pal then moved the Division Bench of Justice Partap Roy and Justice Abdul Gani.

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