Rashtriya Lokdal’s nine MLA to support Greater Noida farmers
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Lokdal’s national executive has decided to organise a meeting at Greater Noida’s Gurjar Bhavan located near Pari Chowk around 3pm
Rashtriya Lokdal’s nine MLAs, led by party chief Jayant Chaudhary, has decided to support the Greater Noida farmers’ agitation against the Greater Noida authority that has been going since the past five months.
Farmers from around 40 villages have been staging the protest against the Uttar Pradesh government and the Greater Noida authority demanding better compensation and rehabilitation facilities in lieu of their land that was acquired for the development of the industrial city of Greater Noida.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Lokdal’s national executive has decided to organise a meeting at Greater Noida’s Gurjar Bhavan located near Pari Chowk around 3pm with an aim to decide the strategy for the upcoming election.
After the meeting, the party brass led by chief Jayant Chaudhary and its nine MLAs from western Uttar Pradesh will visit the protest site at Greater Noida authority’s Sector Knowledge Park-4, where the farmers agitation is underway.
“Our party has always fought for farmers’ rights and raised our voices against the establishment if it works against the interest of farmers and the poor. We have decided to sit with farmers who are facing this injustice since so long. We demand that the Uttar Pradesh government must address their issues without further delay; else we will start a statewide campaign for justice. We will continue to support the farmers until the state government or the Greater Noida authority resolves issues related to farmer compensation and rehabilitation,” said Trilok Tyagi, national general secretary of Rashtriya Lokdal.
In end-2022, farmers had threatened to start an agitation if issued related to abadi land (meant for residences), among others, are not resolved. When the authority still failed to take steps to resolve these issues, farmers in April started a sit-in protest outside the authority office.
The farmers were later joined by their children and elders at the site of the protest. They are now camping at the site outside the Greater Noida authority office at night as well.
“We had told the officials clearly that if they do not address our demands -- resolution of abadi land disputes, leaseback of land, allotment of 6% residential plots, hike in land purchase rates and other demands -- then we will continue with our protest outside the authority office,” said Vikas Chaudhary, a farmer leading the agitation.
Rajysabha MP Surendra Nagar, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Thakur and the Greater Noida authority chief executive officer Ravikumar NG have met with farmers several times but are yet to reach a settlement.
“We are trying to resolve farmer issues and convince them to end the protest,” said Ravikumar, chief executive officer, Greater Noida authority.
