Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Farmers from 12 villages discuss Patwari compensation at mahapanchayat; fail to arrive at consensus
A day after residents of Patwari village struck a deal with the Greater Noida Authority for higher compensation for the acquired land,farmers in neighbouring villages are divided on whether they would accept a similar package if offered to them.
Land owners from 12 villages in Greater Noida participated in a mahapanchayat held in Chhoti Milakh village,bordering Patwari,Sunday morning. A number of them opposed the package offered to Patwari villagers and said they would turn it down if offered similar compensation.
According to the agreement signed between Patwari villagers and Greater Noida Authority,the farmers will be paid Rs 1,400 per square meter — Rs 550 higher than the earlier compensation amount of Rs 850 per square meter. “The plot area reserved for farmers is also increased from 6 percent to 8 percent.
Ram Kumar Baisla (50),whose 20 bighas was acquired by the UP government in 2008,said the land was taken for industrial purposes. “According to section 4 and 6,they were to build industry here and not residential plots. We do not want the additional Rs 550 per square meter that the Greater Noida Authority is offering now,” he said.
Asserting that farmers would lose their identity if they give up their land,Baisla said they are ready to return the compensation given to them in 2008 in return for 40 percent of the acquired land. “… but the authority must give us 40 percent of our developed plots and authorise us to further develop it. It should be left for us to decide what we do with that land,” he added.
The villagers also said the rehabilitation package being offered to landless labourers was “inadequate and bogus.”
Mahavir (47),whose 40 bighas was acquired in 2008,said he was waiting for the mahapanchayat ‘s decision on the issue. “If the panchayat decides to take back the land,I will support them. We may till our land to make it fertile again or construct buildings on it. But Rs 1,400 per square meter is unacceptable. They had earlier said they will give us 6 percent of our plots,but where is that land?,” he asked.
However,a number of villagers said they would accept compensation as the one given to Patwari.
Santu Yadav (58) from Itiheda village,whose 30 bighas was acquired in 2008,said,”They gave us Rs 850 per square meter. Now,they are giving the farmers an extra Rs 550 per square meter and have also increased the plot area from to 6 to 8 percent. I would gladly take it up,” he said.
Yadav’s friend,Mohar Singh said he would accept the money since the land is infertile due to construction activity.
However,both Yadav and Singh agreed that the Authority had cheated them by giving the land to the builders. “They had acquired it for industry and it would have created jobs. Anyways,all we want now is for them to give is the higher compensation and also develop our village and provide us modern infrastructure such as roads and streetlights,” Yadav added.
As part of the Patwari package,the Authority has decided to provide 40 square meter plots to landless laborers in the village. “We will also open an ITI,a peripheral road and construct a wrestling ring in the village,” said CEO of Greater Noida Authority,Rama Raman.
Asserting that the compensation was,for now,only for Patwari,Raman said,”The agreement with farmers of Patwari village came after the Allahabad High Court’s instructions. The writ petitions of other villages are pending in the court and will be heard on July 17. If the court directs us to offer them the same package,we will do that. If they ask us to negotiate compensation with each village separately,we will act accordingly.”
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
