Noida saves ₹4,000 cr as SC does away with hiked relief to farmers
This effectively means that the allottees will not have to bear the burden of hiked land compensation as the authority would have passed this on to them
The Supreme Court order dismissing the new petitions by farmers seeking increased compensation for their acquired land has come as a big relief for the fund-starved Noida authority, which would have had to shell out ₹4,000 crore more to over 15,000 farmers.
This effectively means that the allottees will not have to bear the burden of hiked land compensation as the authority would have passed this on to them.
On February 13, the Supreme Court had directed the Noida authority to not distribute additional land compensation to farmers who are not petitioners in the Savitri Devi versus UP government case seeking hiked compensation for their land acquired for urbanisation.
“Our law department is studying the Supreme Court order in detail to implement it properly. The big relief is that the authority will not have to distribute additional land compensation to around 15,000 farmers,” RK Singh, officer on special duty, Noida authority, said.
The decision deals a blow to 15,000 farmers who were hoping to benefit from the additional land compensation.
“Farmers kept protesting and demanding additional benefits because the government did not provide them adequate compensation at the time of acquisition. Many farmers are still living in a pathetic condition because their land was taken for development projects. There should have been a uniform policy to distribute land compensation so that all farmers are equally benefitted,” Ajit Singh Tomar, a farmer, said.
The decision, however, is a major relief to property buyers as the authority would have otherwise passed on the financial burden to them.
“The Supreme Court order is a landmark as the Noida authority is undergoing a financial crisis. It would not have been easy arranging ₹4,000 crore at a time when the real estate sector is experiencing a crisis and the builders are unable to pay ₹11,000 crore dues to the authority,” Manmohan Mishra, financial controller of the Noida authority, said.
Thousands of Noida farmers had been demanding the additional compensation for their agricultural land acquired since 1976, when the UP government established the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida ) for setting up industries and development purposes.
It acquired more land in 1997, 2002 and 2009. The authority had paid a certain price for the acquired land, but most farmers were unhappy with this compensation.
To pacify farmers, the authority, in 1998, decided to give 5% developed plots (5% of total land acquired) to all farmers whose land was acquired between 1997 and 2002. Following an Allahabad high court order, the authority also gave 5% developed plots to all farmers whose land was acquired between 2002 and 2009.
However, farmers kept approaching the Allahabad high court and the Supreme Court for additional compensation from the Noida authority.
In 2013, the authority decided to give 64% additional land compensation to around 1,900 farmers who had filed petitions in the Allahabad high court.
After that decision, another 600 farmers filed petitions seeking additional compensation. But the Supreme Court, on February 13, 2018, disposed of their petitions saying the authority should distribute compensation only to those who were petitioners in the old case.
.
