Noida airport phase 2: Breakthrough in land acquisition as govt set to raise rates

NOIDA: Negotiations for land acquisition for the second phase of the Noida International Airport look set for a breakthrough with farmers in Jewar expressing satisfaction about the state government's revised compensation package.

Farmers of six villages welcomed chief minister Yogi Adityanath's announcement to increase the rates they will be eligible for when the government acquires land for the state's showpiece infrastructure project.
The revision will see them being compensated at around Rs 3,400 per sqm, according to officials, which is significantly better than the previous rate of Rs 2,300 per sqm.
Several other demands, including land for developing a marketplace near the village where the farmers who give their land will be rehabilitated, were also accepted by the CM at a meeting with a delegation of farmers accompanied by Jewar's BJP MLA Dhirendra Singh in Lucknow on Wednesday. Farmers will be settled along the Yamuna Expressway near Tirthali village. Around 7,100 farmers will benefit from the latest decision, officials said.
Besides, children of affected farmers for the airport project will be trained for the MRO (maintenance, repairing and overhauling) industry of the aviation sector. For this, the CM announced a skill development centre in Jewar.
For the second phase of the international airport, the government has to acquire 1,365 hectares, a land parcel nearly identical in size to the first phase, which has a commissioning deadline of October 2024.
Of this, 1185.69 hectares is private land in the villages of Karauli Bangar, Dayanatpur, Kureb, Ranhera, Mundrah and Birampur villages. The rest is government land.
Farmers had been demanding four times the market rate instead of two times, which is what was offered to villagers from whom land was bought for the first phase.
KP Singh, a resident of Ranhera - the largest among the six villages - said, "Although the compensation amount is not what we had been demanding, the new rates have been welcomed by farmers. It will compensate the farmers fairly and most of them will definitely give their consent now."
For land acquisition to commence, consent from 70% land owners is needed. Noida district magistrate Suhas LY said, "The major demands of farmers have been accepted and now we are hopeful to achieve the target (70% consent) for starting the land acquisition process."
Representatives of each village were present at the meeting in Lucknow. K Mal of Kureb village said, "The two main demands have been accepted. However, on some issues, clarity is still lacking, but we are hopeful a resolution will come after more meetings with officials and farmers."
Residents of Nagla Hukum Singh in Karauli Banger village are, meanwhile, still adamant about not parting with their lands. They have decided not to accept compensation and have taken an oath to remain united against the move to displace them.
Vinay Chaudhary, a resident of Nagla Hukum Singh, said, "Farmers of Nangla Hukum Singh in Karauli Bangar village will not take compensation at any rate. We have been demanding that our locality, which is located in a corner of the project, should be exempted from the land acquisition process, as it will not affect the project in any way. Officials are not ready to do so."