Land Acquisition Issues and Supreme Court Ruling

The podcast delves into the flaws of India's land acquisition law and the consequences faced by Tata. Under the law, the government could claim land for public purpose, even if it benefited private companies. Compensation disputes and lack of due process further exacerbated the conflict. The matter reached the Supreme Court in 2016, where judges disagreed on whether the land acquisition was truly for public purpose. However, they unanimously concluded that due process was ignored by the government. As a result, the court ordered the land to be returned to the rightful owners and allowed them to keep the compensation already received. Tata challenged the state for compensation and an arbitration tribunal ruled in their favor, ordering West Bengal to pay 766 crore rupees. The government is likely to contest the ruling, prolonging the unresolved issue.