Deadline to seek farmers’ consent for land acquisition extended till Sept 6

The UP government, in the first phase, will acquire 1,441 hectares from six villages — Rohi, Parohi, Banwari Bas, Dayanatpur, Kishorpur, and Ranhera for the Jewar airport.

The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration on Friday extended the date of seeking consent from farmers, whose land is to be acquired for an international airport in Jewar along the 165km Yamuna Expressway, till September 6.

The estimated budget for the Jewar airport project is Rs 15,000- 20,000 crore . The airport is expected to be operational by 2022-23. (HT File Photo)

The date had to be extended as the earlier deadline of August 31 — fixed by the administration for seeking consent from all 8,500 farmers and around 2,200 families whose houses will be shifted to make way for the project — could not be met.

Additional district magistrate (land acquisition) Balram Singh, in an office memorandum dated August 31, directed the staff to complete the process of seeking consent from the farmers of eight villages by September 6.

The ADM has deployed a staff of 16 personnel to seek consent from farmers.

However, district magistrate BN Singh said,“We do not want to comment on the deadline issue.”

The UP government, in the first phase, will acquire 1,441 hectares from six villages — Rohi, Parohi, Banwari Bas, Dayanatpur, Kishorpur, and Ranhera.

The estimated budget for the project is ₹15,000- 20,000 crore and the airport is expected to be operational by 2022-23.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) and administration officials on Friday said that 1,490 farmers had agreed to give their agricultural land for the development of the international airport in Jewar.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the administration and the Yeida officials that the airport project is to be developed only if all farmers part with their land willingly.

“We will not go ahead with the airport project until all farmers give their consent in writing. If all 8,500 farmers do not give their consent, then the government may shelve the project. Till August 29, as many as 1,107 farmers had given their consent in writing and agreed to give 433.61 hectares for the project. On August 30, around 200 more farmers gave their consent,” Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer, Yeida, said.

On Friday, 190 farmers, who own 22 hectares of land, gave their written consent.

Under the rehabilitation package, the state government will give farmers ₹2,300 per square metre for the agricultural land, 50% of the total residential plot of each farmer as a residential plot in an urban area, a waiver in stamp duty, ₹5.85 lakh compensation, funds for house construction and a job to one person from each family.

“Around 2,200 families, whose houses will be shifted to make way for the airport, are ready to give their land. Once all 8,500 farmers give their consent, the UP government will issue a notification to start the process of acquisition. But, the notification will not be issued until all farmers agree to give land,” Shailendra Bhatia, officer on special duty, Yeida, said.

Yeida officials said they want to make the rehabilitation package “the best in the country”.

“If all farmers are happy with the project, then our rehabilitation package will be considered the best. If they are not happy, then the government will not develop the project,” Bhatia said.