GNIDA, builders approach farmers for settlement

With High Court setting August 12 deadline, Greater Noida Authority (GNIDA) and builders today initiated frantic negotiations with farmers, who have challenged acquisition of their land, offering them annuity, cash incentive and other sops.

The Authority held talks with affected farmers and their leaders and briefed them on the new rehabilitation policy and benefits, GNIDA officials said.

The Allahabad High Court yesterday said that the farmers had an option to reach out-of-court settlement by August 12 after which their petitions will be taken up by a larger bench.

Annuity

Beside land compensation under the new scheme, farmers will get annuity of Rs 23,000 per acre for 33 years, the officials said, adding the farmers can also collect one-time payment if they so desire.

“The rate would be Rs 2.76 lakh per acre,” they said.

A majority of the farmers feel that the land was now unfit of cultivation but were wary of negotiating with the builders.

Builders whose projects now face an uncertain future, deputed their agents to contact the farmers. “Builders have offered Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per square metre of additional amount.

“However, it is only the Authority which can settle our disputes so the farmers want the negotiations to be held through the body instead of directly with the builders,” said Sukhvinder Bhatti, a farmer.

“We do not want to create hindrance in the development of the city. We too want development. But our main concern is that we should get a share of the profit,” said another farmer Raj Kumar.

Farmers' predicament

A majority of farmers in villages other than from Shaberi have taken land compensation through mutual agreement which they had spent on marrying off their children or buying luxury cars and building houses.

“Now they will prefer the option of settlement as they cannot refund the money,” said another farmer Tej Singh.

“The matter would be resolved if the Authority takes into account the farmers' concerns and agrees to part with a share of profit,” said Dushyant Nagar, a farmer leader.

Acquisition of more than 3,000 hectares of land, spread across nearly a dozen villages, has been challenged by the petitioners who have alleged that their land was acquired by the State government by invoking “urgency clause” which had deprived them of an opportunity to raise objections as well as to bargain for a better compensation.

The fate of thousands of people, who have invested in housing projects in the Noida Extension area, as well as over a dozen real estate developers also hinges on the court verdict.

Meanwhile, the GNIDA Chairman, Mr Balwinder Kumar, continued his drive to pacify the farmers. He visited Sadarpur and other villages and promised to hand over five per cent of developed land and resolve abadi land issues.

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