Pursuant to discussions held with agitating farmers on Monday after their protest march to Delhi was blocked at the border by Delhi Police, the Uttar Pradesh government late Tuesday night formed a committee, headed by principal secretary (industries and infrastructure department) Anil Sagar, to look into the protesters’ demands related to land compensation and rehabilitation facilities.
This committee headed by Sagar will have as members industries department secretary Piyush Verma, Noida additional chief executive officer (CEO) Sanjay Kumar Khatri, Great Noida additional CEO Saumya Srivastava, and Yamuna Expressway additional CEO Kapil Singh, said officials aware of the matter.
The committee has a mandate to coordinate between the industrial bodies of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway and also with the chairman of UP board of revenue, who headed an earlier committee that was formed to look into farmer grievances. On October 22, 2024. that committee, after having meetings with the farmers and officials of the three authorities, submitted its recommendations to the state government for further action.
“The new committee will coordinate with the earlier committee, look into farmer issues and submit its recommendations for further action,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer, Noida authority.
The earlier committee comprising revenue board chairman Rajneesh Dube, Meerut divisional commissioner Selva Kumari J and Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma made six key recommendations following a detailed review of the ongoing issues.
It accepted the demand that each member of a farmer family be allowed to use at least 1,000 square metres of their abadi land for family use. Earlier, they were allowed to use only 450 square metres. The committee also accepted the demand for residential plots even to farmers who encroached upon land that was acquired by the government, said officials.
The committee, however, refused three crucial demands of farmers — 10% developed residential land for all of those farmers whose land was acquired since 1997; two; 64.7% hiked additional compensation for all those farmers whose land was acquired from 1997 to 2002; and three, permission to use their residential plots for commercial purposes.
The rejection of these three demands prompted farmers to restart their agitation that led to district-wide protests under farmer groups, including Bharatiya Kisan Union, Bharatiya Kisan Parishad and Bharatiya Kisan Manch and others, formed a Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and blocked traffic on Noida and Greater Noida roads.
“The rejection of these three demands shows that the state government does not want to do justice to our long pending issues. We gave land for development of Noida but the government is not sympathetic towards our plight. Our agitation will continue if the government will not accept our three demands,” said Prempal Chauhan, a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Parishad.
“The new committee will meet farmers and explain how it has resolved most of their issues. For example, in Greater Noida, the committee has resolved the issues related to shifting of farmers’ plot to better location, leasing back the abadi land to farmers. And in Noida, the biggest benefit that farmers got is that the committee has de-linked encroachments from awarding of residential plots. Earlier if a farmer encroached on any government land, then they were denied residential plots,” said Saumya Srivastava, additional CEO, Greater Noida authority.
The Noida authority has delayed allotting 5% developed land to farmers due to encroachment disputes. The Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities have resolved these issues,
In Greater Noida, approximately 20% of farmers affected by land acquisition are still waiting to receive their 5% developed plots. Even though the city has developed by leaps on the acquired land, many farmers still remain without their entitled plots.
“We have resolved farmers’ key issues already and if any issue remains to be attended then we will do look into them,” said Shailendra Bhatia, officer on special duty, Yamuna Expressway authority.
“The committee formed in February submitted its report in October. But Noida and the Greater Noida authority are still not expediting files related to residential plots and abadi regularisation. Had officials addressed farmers’ issues without delay, there would have been no need for any agitation,” said Thakur Tikam Singh, a farmer leader.