vNano land allotment: High Court to hold simultaneous hearing of two PILs

Oza argued that if any order was passed on this PIL, it would affect a previous litigation filed by him on behalf of the farmers adversely affected by the land allotment. He requested the court to conduct simultaneous hearing of the two PILs.

Earlier in the day, Thakar objected to the government allotment of 1,100 acres of land to the Tatas, saying the company was allotted only 600 acres for the same project in West Bengal. He said the government’s action was anti-farmer, as it acquired agricultural land without giving them a chance to be heard.

The RKD leader said the government has advanced a loan to the tune of Rs 9,570 crore to the Tatas to be repaid after 20 years at an annual interest of 0.1 per cent. In contrast, the farmers were given loans at 14 to 18 per cent interest, he said.

He also submitted that the government had earlier refused to allot land for a car project at Sanand to one Ugarchand Panchal. Thakar also objected to the government selling land to the Tatas at Rs 900 per square metre, even as its value was yet not been calculated by the government.

He pointed out that as the land in question was earlier allotted to the Anand Agricultural University (AAU), a charitable institution, for agriculture research purposes, it could not be allotted for any other purpose under the state’s land acquisition rules.

In an affidavit, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi submitted that the land in question belonged to the government since 1912. Pointing out that a survey conducted in 1927 showed the land as a government wasteland, he informed the court that 1,100 acres of Northcotepura land was allotted for the Nano car plant at Rs 900 per square metre. The amount is to be paid in six annual instalments, starting after two years from the date of possession, he added.

He told the court that over 2.5 lakh cars would be produced in the first phase and another 2.5 lakh in the next phase, generating direct employment for 2,000 people and indirect employment to another 8,000.