A day before the NCR Planning Board’s (NCRPB) proposed meeting on the Greater Noida’s master plan 2021, disgruntled farmers on Wednesday wrote to the central body requesting it “not to approve the plan in haste”.
The NCRPB meeting, which will be held in Delhi on Thursday, is likely to be attended by Uttar Pradesh’s principal secretary (housing) SN Shukla. The master plan has been pending for approval for eight months, giving tension to thousands of homebuyers in Noida Extension.
Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS), an umbrella body of farmers, on Wednesday wrote to the NCRPB in this regard. “After the Allahabad high court in October last year asked the Greater Noida authority to get its plan approved by the NCRPB before construction could resume, forcible land acquisition in several villages — including Gulistanpur, Surajpur, Chhapraula and Birondi — has been set aside. When the authority doesn’t have land in these villages, how can the master plan be approved?” said Ranbeer Pradhan of KSS.
“The Supreme Court has also quashed land takeover in two villages — Shahberi and Makoda — in Greater Noida. Its order in Shahberi meant 6,500 planned and semi-constructed flats would never come up. Even the high court in its last year order set aside takeover in three villages — Asdullapur, Devla and Chak Shahberi — all in Greater Noida. We have asked the NCRPB not to pass this truncated master plan,” said Inder Nagar, another KSS member.
{{/usCountry}}“The Supreme Court has also quashed land takeover in two villages — Shahberi and Makoda — in Greater Noida. Its order in Shahberi meant 6,500 planned and semi-constructed flats would never come up. Even the high court in its last year order set aside takeover in three villages — Asdullapur, Devla and Chak Shahberi — all in Greater Noida. We have asked the NCRPB not to pass this truncated master plan,” said Inder Nagar, another KSS member.
{{/usCountry}}Farmer leader Dushyant Nagar said, “The high court in its last year order ordered increased benefits for farmers. But we don’t accept the order. Farmers of more than 40 villages have moved the Supreme Court seeking their land back. We have met Union urban development minister Kamal Nath and requested him not to clear the plan till our cases are settled once and for all.”
“We’re not bothered about the master plan’s approval. Land acquired forcibly for industrial development cannot be used for realty projects. We have also asked the NCRPB that the plan should not be approved till the authority returns our abadi land,” he said.
Farmers of several villages have moved the Supreme Court seeking their land back. The issue of master plan approval will remain relevant only when the apex court does not set aside land takeover and land remains with builders.