Kolkata: The case of “unclaimed” land and cheques has become a major hurdle in the process of returning land to the farmers in Singur, West Bengal.

In 2006, the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front government acquired 997 acres of land for the Nano car factory from farmers which led to a massive agitation by Mamata Banerjee and eventual fall of the 34-year-old government.

Now armed with the directive from India’s Supreme Court on August 31, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had started the process of returning land. However, it is startled to find out that there are no claimants for a reasonable part of the land.

Banerjee, now chief minister, believes there was large-scale rigging by the erstwhile Left regime in handing over compensation cheques. “There were a lot of irregularities during Left Front regime. Many people had taken cheques fraudulently. Now they can’t be traced,” Banerjee said.

She has directed the district police to lodge specific complaints should such irregularities surface.

According to district magistrate Sanjay Bansal, of the total 11,000 farmers that were involved, 9,200 were willing to give the land of which 6,900 have claimed their ownership in the last 53 days. The remaining 2,300 cannot be traced in spite of all efforts to communicate.

Of the remaining 1,800 farmers who were “unwilling”, 600 are yet to come and claim their compensation cheques and land. The government is puzzled over the issue. “We are unsure as to why they have not claimed the land. Maybe they have relocated,” said Bansal.

TMC leaders though believe they have not come forward fearing the scam will be unearthed. “Even if they have relocated, every media within the country and the world has covered this story. They would have certainly heard about it,” said state education minister Partha Chatterjee.

There are other legal hassles too as many rightful owners have died in the interim decade. “Their successors didn’t make the necessary changes in the ownership since the land was already acquired and was with the state. Now, the claimants are all pressing for their claims,” admitted a senior officer. “Many women, who were reportedly married off and denied their due by their brothers, are also coming for their claims,” he said.

The first batch of 298 farmers got possession of 100 acres of land with the Chief Minister overseeing the programme. This land, she claimed, are in “cultivable form”. “Farmers will start taking possession tomorrow onwards. Around 50-odd acres will be handed out every day by the district administration,” she said.

According to Banerjee, nearly 952 acres (out of 998 acres) are already in “cultivable form” and the entire stretch will be retuned in cultivable condition by November 10.

“We are looking at a time of around November 8. Otherwise by November 10, all farmers will get possession of the land,” she said.

The Supreme Court had set a deadline of 12-weeks to complete the process.