Farmers ask Yeida to increase rates for acquiring land in future

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) might need to pay more for acquiring land for future development after the state government fixed the compensation for land acquired from farmers at ₹3,100 per square metre in the Jewar airport project

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) might need to pay more for acquiring land for future development after the state government fixed the compensation for land acquired from farmers at ₹3,100 per square metre in the Jewar airport project. According to the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration, 1,185 hectares of land are required for the second phase of the airport and the government announced the new rates to appease the farmers.

Farmers ask Yeida to increase rates for acquiring land in future

Earlier, Yeida paid ₹2,300 per square metre to acquire land for industrial and infrastructure development along the 165km Yamuna Expressway between Greater Noida and Agra. Farmers have expressed unwillingness to let go of their land at the existing rate to Yeida after the government revised the tariff for the airport project. “We will not give our land for developmental projects if the authority does not offer us ₹3,100 per square metre or match the rates offered to farmers for airport expansion,” Ramkumar Singh, a farmer from Reelkha village said.

Yeida has been buying land directly from willing farmers for the past several years. During its board meeting in August this year, Yeida earmarked around ₹2000 crore to buy 2000 hectares of land for industrial, roads, parks and other projects in the financial year 2022-23.

“We have presented Yeida with our demand and the authority should increase its compensation to make the tariff uniform and ensure fairness. If Yeida does not revise its rates, we will be compelled to begin a series of agitations against the government,” Sukhbir Yadav, farmer leader, said. Yadav is already leading a farmer agitation in the district. Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, is yet to officially announce the revised rates for the airport project and declined to comment on the matter. Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer, Yeida, said, “We do not know the new rates as they are yet to be decided by the state government.”