SME Times News Bureau | 07 Jul, 2011
The farmers of Singur in West Bengal Wednesday expressed happiness over
the Supreme Court's decision to quash the acquisition of land in
Shahberi village of Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida.
"We are happy
that the farmers will be returned their lands. I know how it feels when
your land is snatched away," said Paromita Das who herself is looking
forward to getting back her land takenover by the state government.
The
erstwhile Left Front regime acquired 997 acres of land in this rural
belt of Hooghly district for setting up of an automobile factory by Tata
Motors.
The project had to be scrapped after alleged forcible
acquisition saw two years of sustained agitation under Trinamool
Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, the new state chief minister.
"I
am not aware of the legal complexities but I am happy for the farmers
(in Greater Noida). Hopefully, we too will see such a day soon," said
Joothika Manna who had to lose her family land, which was the only
source of livelihood.
Mahadeb Das another farmer who had
spearheaded agitations against forcible acquisition welcomed the verdict
and said it will make the people more hopeful about getting back their
own land.
An apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice
A.K. Ganguly Wednesday held that the acquisition of 156 hectares of
village land in Greader Noida under the emergency provisions of the Land
Acquisition Act (Section 19) was bad in law.
The Bahujan Samaj
Party government in Utttar Pradesh took over the land in Shahberi
village under the emergency provisions of the act which denies
landowners the right to be heard.
