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Farmers protest against Greater Noida authority
GREATER NOIDA: Around 1,000 farmers from around 40 villages Wednesday protested against the Greater Noida authority, demanding hiked land compensation and a quick
GREATER NOIDA: Around 1,000 farmers from around 40 villages Wednesday protested against the Greater Noida authority, demanding hiked land compensation and a quick resolution to their residential plot disputes.
The angry farmers reached the Greater Noida authority office in sector Knowledge Park-4 at 1pm and shouted slogans against the officials.
They also tried to lock the gates of the office in order to register their protest. However, they ended their protest by 4pm after assurances that top officials will meet and resolve their demands on Thursday.
“Our key demands include settlement of residential disputes, disbursal of hiked land compensation and harassment of farmers by issuing notices, etc. The authority has not resolved abadi disputes for a long time and only giving false promises. Also, the authority issuing notices to farmers, who are yet to build houses on their residential plots allotted to them,” Manveer Bhati, leader of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti that led the protest, said.
As per rules, the authority issues notices and also imposes a penalty against a plot owner, who has failed to build a house or a building within a stipulated deadline of five to seven years. On the basis of this rule, the authority is issuing notices to farmers, who got residential plots under the land compensation package.
“We have got plots under the scheme to meet housing needs of our families as we gave our land for development. And we will construct houses when we need to. Why is the authority issuing notices to us like an ordinary plot owner?” said Bhati.
Farmers said the authority is waiving interest and penalty of builders and, on the other hand, was imposing a penalty on them.
“The authority is not resolving our abadi disputes for the last six years. We need immediate relief or we will intensify our agitation,” Anil Sharma, another farmer, said.
The Greater Noida authority CEO Narendra Bhooshan, the Yamuna Expressway authority CEO Arun Vir Singh and district magistrate BN Singh, among other officials, will discuss their issues.
“The authority will look into their issues and take appropriate action,” said KK Gupta, ACEO of the Greater Noida authority.
Farmers protested even after Section 144 is enforced in the district.
“We will look into it,” said BN Singh district magistrate Gautam Budh Nagar, who on Tuesday had said that they will take strict action against persons involved in any kind of protest in the district.
