No developed plots yet, farmers protest at Noida office

Noida: Nearly 500 farmers on Thursday marched from Harola Community Centre to the Noida Authority office in Sector 6 and staged a protest over their long-pending demand for developed plots.“We have decided to continue our protest until our demands are met,” Bhartiya Kisan Parishad president Sukhvir Khalifa said, adding, the Authority acquired land from farmers but “failed” to deliver developed plots to several affected families.“In 2024 too, we protested over this issue. Following that, the state govt formed a high-level committee comprising the director of the revenue department, the divisional commissioner of Meerut and the district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar. It has been almost two years, but there is no update on the committee’s recommendations,” the farmer leader said.Nearly 2,950 farmers’ 5% and 10% developed plots are due. Suresh Kumar, a resident of Sarfabad village, said, “Nearly 20 years have passed and we are still waiting.” Kumar, whose 32 acres of land were acquired by Noida Authority in 2006, added, “We received compensation for the land, but the developed plots were never allotted. We demand that the govt address our concerns and fulfil its commitments.”Led by Khalifa, the farmers reached the Authority office around 1 pm. Accompanied by a DJ sound system, the protesters played music and raised slogans in support of their demands. The police put in place multilayered security arrangements, deploying ropes and iron barricades to prevent the farmers from advancing further towards the Authority premises.The farmers subsequently set up tents outside the Authority’s main office and began their protest under the scorching June sun. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, coupled with limited shade, led to dehydration and exhaustion among several protesters. Later in the afternoon, rainfall disrupted the demonstration, forcing many of the protesters to disperse and return home.Police personnel and officials of the Noida Authority later held discussions with the farmers. Kranti Shekhar, officer on special duty (OSD), Noida Authority, said that officials were in talks with the protesting farmers and efforts were being made to resolve their issues. Noida has scheduled a meeting of farmers with Authority CEO Krishna Karunesh on Friday.The protest stems from a long-standing land dispute between farmers and the development authority. Over the years, Noida Authority acquired large tracts of agricultural land for urban development projects. Subsequently, a group of farmers approached Allahabad High Court, which in Oct 2011 ruled in their favour and granted a 64.7% increase in compensation along with 10% developed residential plots. Prior to the judgment, farmers were compensated for their land and were entitled to 5% developed plots. Supreme Court upheld the HC’s decision in May 2015.While Noida Authority has largely disbursed the additional compensation awarded to landowners, the allotment of developed plots remains incomplete due to a shortage of available land.