Noida farmers to get cheques today, projects still halted

Noida: For the fourth consecutive day on Monday, farmers in sectors 45 and 96 demonstrated and their dharna continued, seeking implementation of the October 21 high court order, which asked the government to give increased benefits to farmers.

For the past three days, work on four real estate projects (about 5,000 flats are being built in the affected area), has stopped, with farmers from a dozen villages agitating in Sector 45. Senior police and authority officials tried persuading them to call off the impasse, but they didn’t budge.

On Monday, a delegation of farmers met Noida authority CEO Rama Raman, who promised that cheques of increased relief would be issued to farmers on Tuesday. He also promised to carry out development work in the villages. Farmers, however, said unless all their demands were met, they would not let the projects resume.

The Greater Noida authority has already started giving increased benefits to farmers in the area. But this has not been done in Noida. The increased cash payment will mean a burden of more than R1,000 crore on Noida authority.

The authority is still struggling to allot, despite sustained agitations by farmers, 5% plots to those whose land was acquired years ago. “After much struggle, we have just now managed to squeeze out 5% plots to 5,000-odd farmers in Noida.

There’s no land left now,“ said a senior official.

“It’s not only about the increased benefits. The Noida authority had struck a deal with farmers about three months ago, promising all abadi (habitation) land disputes would be resolved and plots would be carved out of the developed land and allotted to farmers, but nothing has happened. We are being forced to take the path of aggression,“ said Naresh Yadav, a farmer leader.

“Even today, the authority officials didn’t promise anything,“ said Seesh Ram Yadav, village head of Hoshiyarpur.  Source>>>

We are being compelled to follow the path of aggression.

N A R E S H YA D AV farmer leader