‘Patwari pact is only one step forward’

When the Supreme Court on July 6 upheld an Allahabad high court order setting aside land acquisition in Shahberi village, and other Noida Extension villages moved court seeking similar relief, despair gripped the one lakh-odd homebuyers.

When the Supreme Court on July 6 upheld an Allahabad high court order setting aside land acquisition in Shahberi village, and other Noida Extension villages moved court seeking similar relief, despair gripped the one lakh-odd homebuyers.

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They thought land acquisition, which had been done using the urgency clause, in other villages would also be quashed. But the Patwari deal, struck on Saturday, has fuelled fresh hopes. Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) chief executive officer Rama Raman said, "Patwari is only one step towards

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solving the crisis. It's not been easy, but we're hopeful of reaching a situation where the interests of all stakeholders — farmers, buyers and builders — remain protected."

On July 6, the Supreme Court quashed acquisition of 156 hectares, leaving 6,500 homebuyers in the lurch. On July 19, the high court quashed acquisition of 589 hectares, affecting 20,000 homebuyers. Farmers of about a dozen villages have moved court, seeking quashing of land acquisition. The court will hear all related matters on August 17 and decide on the fate of 70,000 houses booked in Haibatpur, Bisrakh, Itaidha, Ghanghola, Devla, Roza-Yakoobpur. In total, 2.25 lakh houses have been planned.

The Patwari agreement was signed between the authority and a 15-member committee that the village head of Patwari, Reshpal Yadav, had constituted. Similar committees have been formed in other villages too. The authority has been talking to these committees.