Some Farmer groups term Patwari deal a betrayal

Despite the Patwari pact, a group of farmers in the village has stood up in protest. Farmers, led by Dushyant Nagar, Manveer Bhati and others, said they would not allow “a select few, who are getting personal benefits from the authority” to decide the fate of all Noida Extension villages.

Despite the Patwari pact, a group of farmers in the village has stood up in protest. Farmers, led by Dushyant Nagar, Manveer Bhati and others, said they would not allow “a select few, who are getting personal benefits from the authority” to decide the fate of all Noida Extension villages.

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“We will hold a mahapanchayat on Sunday. No agreement will be legal without this meeting’s approval,” said farmer leader Dushyant Nagar. The real picture will emerge only on Sunday when all 11 villages hold a mahapanchayat and disclose their strategy.

He said, “The authority has executed the agreement with one group of farmers. The agreement is not acceptable to all the farmers. The authority has employed a pick-and-choose method.” “On Sunday, we will challenge the agreement at our panchayat at Roza Yakoobpur,” he said.

Inder Nagar, another disgruntled farmer leader who has filed a petition seeking a CBI inquiry into all land allotments since 2007, said, “Today’s agreement is not acceptable to us. The hike of only R550 is nothing compared to market rates.”

Manvir Bhati, another farmer leader, said, “The authority has betrayed us. Initially it was talking of a joint committee of all villages and later they negotiated with force and inducement. Other villages will not accept this. Moreover, several Patwari farmers too have not given the consent.”

Farmers in several villages said the agreement had been forced on the Patwari.