Jewar airport: Farmers seek 4 times of circle rate; meeting today

GREATER NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government’s multi-disciplinary expert group on Friday will analyse the social impact assessment (SIA) report on the Jewar airport submitted by a team of Gautam Buddha University recently even as residents of eight villages have said they would part with land only if they get a compensation four times the existing circle rates. According to sources, the expert group will also discuss the issues that have come up during the interaction with the landowners at a jan sunwai held last month.
The expert group will thereafter send the report to the state government and land owners will be issued notices for their consent and acquistion.

“The expert committee will be making deliberations over the report on Friday. The committee will then make recommendations to the UP government for a final nod. We will then start taking consent for acquisition from land owners. They will be informed in details about the process and compensation for the same,” said Rakesh Chandra Sharma, additional district magistrate (land acquisition) Gautam Budh Nagar. The landowners and farmers will be given chance to share their comments or objections before the acquisition. As per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, at least 70% land holders shall give their consent before the acquisition process can kick off. The officials said that the consent taking process may start in next two weeks.

The SIA report aims to ensure that the project addresses the adverse impact on the livelihood of land holders and nobody is left worse off after implementing the resettlement action plan. The report also highlights the socio-economic, cultural and political analysis to identify the project stakeholders and social issues associated with the project.

Yamuna Authority has been appointed as the nodal agency for the airport project which has earmarked 5,000 hectares of land for Jewar airport. The earmarked area would be acquired in phases.

In the first phase, nearly 1,327 hectares is proposed to be acquired in eight villages – Rohi, Ranhera, Parohi, Banwaribas, Dayanatpur, Kishorpur, Mukeempur Shivara and Ramner. Further acquisition will be undertaken in a phased manner and more villages will be identified. Interestingly, the residents of eight villages have said that they would give their land for acquisition but want four times the existing circle rates. Khadak Singh, a resident of Kishorpur village, said the district administration officials had held a meeting last month to discuss the issue. “The residents are willing to give land for development. But we want adequate compensation, four times the present circle rate as this is a rural area,” he said.

Anand Sharma, a resident of Ranhera village, said he would also hand over his land if adequate compensation is given for acquisition.

The land has been earmarked, though there is no marking on the ground. A spot visit showed farmers ploughing the fields and cattles grazing around. Some people were also engaged in construction works of houses and shops on the earmarked land.

A Yamuna Authority official said that the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) has approved the techno-economic feasibility report but an environment clearance is awaited.