Next door in Ghaziabad,farmers strike direct deals with builders

Dundahera’s rise began four ago,when seven builders came to envision the Crossings Republik,a project that would span 360 acres. The project’s website describes the builders as ‘7 forces’ and the project ‘India’s first global city’.

Shahberi,meanwhile,hit the headlines as the Supreme Court upheld Allahabad High Court’s verdict quashing state acquisition of farm land under the ‘urgency clause’. The court ruling brought cheer for Shahberi residents and gloom for investors.

The residents of both villages,however,feel that grass in greener on the other side.

“The Noida Authority takes care of them. They have better roads,drains and the place is clean,unlike ours. That also means that land should be more expensive across the nallah,” says Haridwari Lal Tyagi,who lives in Dundahera.

Vice-Chairman of the Ghaziabad Development Authority,Narendra Kumar Chaudhary,said the companies were given a licence to directly negotiate with the farmers. “As per the agreement,60 per cent of the land could be acquired by the companies. If they require the other 40 per cent,we will facilitate its acquisition,” he says.

In 2006-07,builders began negotiating with the farmers of Dundahera. “Representatives of a company would come with a property dealer from the area. They began with an offer of Rs 4 lakh per bigha,” says Dayanand Tyagi,sitting on a charpoy inside his garage that has two cars and a tractor parked inside.

Dayanand was one of the first to give in. “My thoughts were about a time in 1962 when they acquired land for 49 paise per gaj (1000 gajs make a bigha). I didn’t want to wait,” he says. Tyagi was paid Rs 6.5 lakh per bigha for his 35 bigha. He has since bought land in Hapur,and admitted one of his sons into medical school. Tyagi is no longer a farmer,he leases out his tractor.

Some time in late 2009,the Greater Noida Authority offered the farmers of Shahberi compensation at Rs. 7.11 lakh per bigha. Meanwhile,those across the nallah who had managed to hold on to their land were reaping richer rewards by the day.

Haridwari Tyagi sold his land in 2008 for Rs 12 lakh per bigha. Villagers say the last of those who sold land to the promoters of the Crossing Republik got as much as Rs 26 lakh per bigha.

“There are about 400 bighas with villagers even now,and we hear of individuals selling land to new projects. Everyone’s secretive about the exact price,but last we heard,the price has gone up as high as Rs 80 lakh for a bigha,” says Jaiveer Sharma.

Jaiveer has managed to stave off suitors for the 50 bighas he owns near the NH-24; he does not reveal how much the highest bidder had offered.

However,holding on to the leftover land may not be a good idea,either. “Those of us who have been holding on to property have now received notices from the GDA,threatening that land would be acquired,” says Jaiveer.

His claim could not be verified from the GDA.

Among the original seven builders who began the Crossings Republik project are the builders who have a presence in Noida Extension — Ajnara,Panchsheel and Supertech.