Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit in opposition to the Tata Motors` prayer for amendment to its original petition challenging the Singur Land Development and
Rehabilitation Act, 2011.
Justice Saumitra Pal directed the state government to file its opposition by July 11 and asked Tata Motors Ltd to file its reply by July 13.
Tata Motors had in its original petition moved on June 22 stated that it apprehended that Singur land leased out to it would be taken possession of by the state and prayed for status quo.
But the state had opposed it submitting that the land had already been taken possession of on June 21, when the notification of the Singur Act was published, and as such the petition was flawed.
Tata Motors counsels, moving the amendment application before the court, prayed that it be heard `in-camera`.
With the state counsels agreeing, Justice Pal directed that he would hear both sides in his chamber.
After a 20-minute hearing, the court asked both the parties to file affidavits and directed that the issue would be taken up on July 14, along with the hearing of the main petition challenging the Act.
The Supreme Court had stayed the distribution of land at Singur to `unwilling farmers` till the high court disposed the main petition.
PTI
