Noida: Farmers protest for compensation, Abadi plots

NOIDA: About 200 farmers staged a protest outside the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna development authorities’ offices on Monday for their longstanding demands, including additional compensation and allotment of developed plots against the acquired land

NOIDA: About 200 farmers staged a protest outside the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna development authorities’ offices on Monday for their longstanding demands, including additional compensation and allotment of developed plots against the acquired land.

The move also disrupted traffic on the Dadri-Noida Expressway link road, Noida Expressway service road and in others area for around an hour, distressing thousands of commuters. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikat) (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, the tractor-riding farmers first gathered outside Greater Noida office in the afternoon, before visiting the Yamuna Authority office and finally congregating outside Noida authority office where a public gathering was addressed.

The move also disrupted traffic on the Dadri-Noida Expressway link road, Noida Expressway service road and in others area for around an hour, distressing thousands of commuters.

“The Authorities must meet our demands of increased compensation and Abadi plots,” Tikait said on the occasion, while calling upon farmers to be ready for long struggle for their demands.

Rinku Thakur, a protester, said that they want uniform allotment of 10% developed Abadi land to all farmers whose land was acquired. “At present, Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna authorities provide developed plots equivalent to 5%, 6% and 7% of the acquired land, respectively,” he said.

Noida authority officials said the demand for 10% Abadi plots stems from a 2011 Allahabad High Court judgment in Gajraj Singh & Others v. State of U.P, in which the court directed the authorities to allot developed Abadi plots equivalent to 10% of the acquired land, subject to a maximum of 2,500 square metres, to the petitioners. There were 471 petitioners in the case.

The court had also directed payment of 64% additional compensation to eligible farmers.

Farmers claimed that over 12,000 landowners are awaiting Abadi plots from the three authorities - around 2,950 under Noida authority, 4,000 under Greater Noida Authority and 5,100 under Yamuna Authority.

Protesters said enhanced compensation for land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway project remains unpaid while also claiming that they have not been allotted developed plots.

Farmers also said that although land was acquired for Noida International Airport, promised jobs have not been provided to landowners’ families. They also said that local youth be given priority in employment by firms and factories operating in the area.

Meanwhile, the three development authorities’ officials are in talks with farmers to address their issues. “We are in talks with the farmers to resolve their issues,” Kranti Shekhar Singh officer on special duty of the Noida authority said on Monday.