Durgapur Expressway Blockade continues despite High Court Order

Posted on August 30, 2008. Filed under: Business, Politics | Tags: AIR 1997 SC 2703, AIR 2005 SC 492, Amitava Ghosh, AMRI, Andhra Pradesh, Anuradha Talwar, Apollo Hospital, Calcutta, Calcutta High Court, CMRI, Durgapur Expressway, Government of West Bengal, High Court, Kalyan Banerjee, Live saving drugs, Mamata Banerjee, News, NHAI, People's Car, Politics, Purrnendu Bose, Ratan Tata, Ruby Hospital, Saltlake, Satyabrata Mukherjee, Singur, Singur Plant, Singur Shutdown, Singur Tata Nano Plant, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Judgment, Supreme Court of India, Supreme Court ruling to land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh, Supreme Court verdict pertaining to land acquisition in Kerala, Tata Motors, Tata Nano, Tata Nano Plant Shutdown, Tata Nano Singur Plant, TMC, Traffic blockade, traffic jam, Trinamool Congress, West Bengal, World's Cheapest Car |

Honourable Calcutta High Court

Honorable Calcutta High Court has stepped in to clear Durgapur Expressway, but Mamata Banerjee has refused to budge an inch. The high court directed NHAI to ensure free movement of vehicles with the help of State or Centre. The Trinamool chief vowed to go ahead with the agitation, despite the request of Hooghly District Magistrate Neelam Meena and SP Rajiv  Mishra to allow traffic movements. Work on Friday inside plant came to a halt with none of the 800 –odd engineers, executive and workers reporting for work. Those who turned up was threatened and asked to leave.

Surprisingly, Mamata is not willing to take responsibility for others like Anuradha Talwar and Purrnendu Bose, who harassed the engineers and workers the day before to shutdown the plant.

Ace Lawyer and former Union minister Satyabrata Mukherjee ruled out the return of 400 acres of land. He said “The government has acquired 997.11 acres for a public purpose. The division bench of Calcutta High Court has upheld the acquisition as also the public purpose clause. How can the government or the Tatas, who are the lessee, return the land?”  Advocate Amitava Ghosh cited the Supreme Court verdict pertaining to land acquisition in Kerala (AIR 1997 SC 2703) that land remaining unutilized after achieving for a public purpose should be put to public auction and can’t be returned to it’s former owner. He also pointed out to Supreme Court ruling to land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh (AIR 2005 SC 492) which says the government can withdraw from acquiring any land but can’t return the land to the owner once it has taken possession. Lawyer Kalyan Banerjee believes return of land from the factory compound is legal and possible, but he did not mentioned any legal means. The apparent mismatch between Mamata’s moral high ground and the legal feasibility of her demands is her own creation.  Although Kalyan Banerjee is optimistic about returning land to farmers, at the best government will give pattas to farmers on the land, not ownership.

As the agitation entered its sixth day, city hospitals are facing shortage of medical supply. Consignments are stranded on Durgapur expressway due to the blockade by Trinamool supporters. AMRI, Saltlake, was faced with shortage of live saving drugs. Palash Biswas, general manager, operations, AMRI said “This was inevitable. Our life saving drugs are running out fast. If supplies don’t arrive fast, we will be in trouble.” CMRI also apprehending a crisis that there stock will run out in next three days. Others like  Ruby General Hospital and Apollo Hospital were facing a shortage as well.