Noida International Airport:‘Compensated farmers now seek employment from govt’

Jewar MLA said that both the airport development company and the government share the responsibility to ensure youths from the affected families receive priority in employment opportunities

GREATER NOIDA: As the Noida International Airport is expected to begin operations by the end of March, local farmers displaced by the project have intensified their demand for jobs for their children.

The CEO said that under the rehabilitation and resettlement scheme, beneficiaries will receive employment aligned with their skills and educational qualifications. However, many of them currently lack the skills required for airport-related jobs. (HT Archive)

In a meeting with the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) chief executive officer (CEO) RK Singh on Monday, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh sought jobs for 334 eligible beneficiaries through the airport’s concessionaire, officials aware of the matter said.

The CEO said that under the rehabilitation and resettlement scheme, beneficiaries will receive employment aligned with their skills and educational qualifications. However, many of them currently lack the skills required for airport-related jobs.

“The authority is therefore exploring ground staff roles and other suitable positions for them according to their qualifications,” the CEO said.

Under Phase-I of the construction project, the state government had acquired and handed over 1,334 hectares of land in Jewar to the Yamuna International Airport Private Limited. Notably, the state government had compensated the landowner at ₹2,500 per sqm. Now the farmers say the government has yet to provide the jobs.

Meanwhile, the Jewar MLA emphasised that both the airport development company and the government share the responsibility to ensure youths from the affected families receive priority in employment opportunities.

“The farmers of Jewar and surrounding areas have contributed their valuable land for a project of national importance. Therefore, it is essential that their families become direct beneficiaries of the development through employment opportunities in the airport and related projects. The farmers initially didn’t want to give their land for the airport because they feared their interests would not be addressed. But they agreed when we gave them assurances. Therefore it is the responsibility of our government, Yeida, and other government bodies to do justice for the farmers,” Dhirendra Singh told HT.

He added that discussions with the concerned authorities have now reached the final stage, and a positive result will emerge.

“We hope Yeida will soon ensure employment opportunities for the youths of affected families. Our continuous effort is to ensure that local farmers and their families become true stakeholders in the development brought by the Noida airport, paving the way for prosperity and new opportunities in the region,” said Singh.

During the discussion, the MLA said that providing employment opportunities to the children of farmers who gave their land for the airport’s construction is their rightful entitlement, not a favour.

The airport was recently granted an aerodrome licence by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and currently, the authorities are working out the airport’s inauguration date.