Greater Noida: Farmers’ protest continues, board to discuss their demands

The farmers’ protest outside the Greater Noida Authority over a probe recommendation to strip many of them of leased land in Bisrakh village continued for the second

The farmers’ protest outside the Greater Noida Authority over a probe recommendation to strip many of them of leased land in Bisrakh village continued for the second day on Tuesday. The authority’s board will meet on Wednesday to discuss their demands.

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“If the authority does not approve a proposal accepting our demand scrapping the recommendation in the board meeting, then we will continue our protest until it is met,” said Manveer Bhati a member of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti that is leading the protest.

Greater Noida authority chief executive officer (CEO) Narendra Bhooshan said, “The SIT report is not yet final. We will consider the demands of farmers and will be dealt with as per rules.”

In 2007-’08, the Greater Noida Authority had begun to acquire land, including from Bisrakh village, for development purposes, but the farmers protested as they did not want to give up their land. The Authority later offered 10% of developed residential plots to them and lease out their village houses acquired in the process, which was accepted.

Later it was alleged that among the beneficiaries of the “lease back” scheme were people from other states who owned land in Bisrakh village. The scheme was meant for local farmers, many said and complained to the government. A six-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Yamuna expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) CEO Arun Vir Singh probed the matter regarding Bisrakh village in 2017 and gave its report and recommendations to the government on December 14.

“The SIT has said that farmers who got abadi land (houses) leased back, should not get the (developed) residential plots as they cannot get two benefits, as per the rules. This is against farmers who gave their land for development. Instead, no action has been taken against the outsiders,” said Ajay Kumar, another farmer at the protest.