West Bengal governor M.K. Narayanan on Monday said that he thought that the new Singur bill did not require President of India’s assent. “I thought that we did not require President’s approval. That was the legal advice also. If the high court felt otherwise then it is fine... What can we do,” he added. He was speaking to the media persons on the sidelines of a programme in the city. Meanwhile, state commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee said that besides pursuing legal path, the state government would also pursue other avenues to resolve the Singur impasse.
Mr Narayanan was asked to comment on the Calcutta high court’s recent verdict declaring the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 unconstitutional. A division bench comprising Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice Mrinal Kanti Chaudhury, on an appeal by Tata Motors Ltd, observed that President’s assent had not been taken for the act and as such it was void and unconstitutional.
Now the governor’s admission that the legal advice given to him gave him the impression that President’s assent was not needed for the bill may cause more embarrassment for the Mamata Banerjee government which is already reeling under the adverse court ruling. Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said the governor has finally revealed what kind of advice the state government had been providing him. “Many legal experts had warned her against going for this legislation but she did not listen. Even we had told the governor that this was not a valid act... Today no one is standing by her side,” Dr Mishra claimed. Former Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya said if the complete legal picture was not presented before the governor then it was unfair.