Airport land compensation from Monday

Greater Noida: The district administration has decided to start from Monday the process of distributing compensation for land acquired for the proposed international airport in Jewar.
The move follows an order by the Allahabad high court dismissing a bunch of petitions by farmers seeking four times compensation for their land. The administration has identified the area as urban and is offering a little over twice the circle rate in Jewar. As the case was in court, all work related to the project had been put on hold.

Balram Singh, ADM (land acquisition) of Gautam Budh Nagar, said: “The acquisition process will start from Monday. We had prepared the files for compensation but they were delayed because of the polls.”

The administration has notified 1,239 hectares across six villages for acquisition in the first phase.

A social impact assessment survey conducted by the government has found that the notified land is owned by 8,971 families, of which there are 3,627 families whose farming as well residential land has been identified for acquisition.

These families would be rehabilitated to other locations in a phase-wise manner. The administration has identified land for rehabilitation, but is yet to buy it.

However, a section of farmers demanding four times compensation has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the high court order. Ajay Pratap Singh, president of the Jewar Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, said they were “disappointed” with the BJP government over the rate that was being offered.

“The government has refused a fair price to us. We are exploring other legal measures,” he said.