Noida: Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) will pay 64.7% additional compensation to farmers whose land was acquired between 2002 and 2013 for development. The Uttar Pradesh govt has issued an order to fulfil the farmers’ long-standing demand. The Authority will pay more than Rs 500 crore to about 4,500 farmers.GNIDA acquired nearly 3,000 hectares during this period for planned industrial development. The land was subsequently used for several projects, including group housing in Greater Noida West, colleges and institutes in Knowledge Parks, and part of the acquired land was also used for the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.The additional compensation stems from Allahabad High Court’s Gajraj judgment of Oct 2011. Farmers had challenged land acquisitions in Noida and Greater Noida, arguing that their land had been acquired at relatively low compensation and subsequently developed and allotted for residential, commercial and other projects at substantially higher values.The court ordered payment of 64.7% additional compensation over and above the compensation already paid, besides allotment of 10% of the acquired land as developed residential plots. The judgment covered 471 writ petitions, and the petitioners later received the additional compensation. However, farmers whose land was acquired but who were not part of the litigation did not receive the additional compensation.The affected farmers have since staged several protests outside the GNIDA office, demanding the additional compensation. The Authority earlier wrote to the state govt seeking approval for the additional compensation for the remaining 4,500 farmers.On Tuesday, the state govt issued an order directing GNIDA to take action in the matter as per the applicable rules.“Farmers who have been demanding additional compensation for a long time are expected to receive the additional amount soon. The Authority is examining the records of the concerned farmers, determining their eligibility and deciding the further course of action in accordance with the applicable rules before providing the additional compensation,” GNIDA CEO Ravi Kumar NG said.Rupesh Verma, district president of Kisan Sabha, said the organisation had consistently raised the issue through protests and discussions with the Authority. “During a meeting last month, the officials had assured that farmers’ issues would be addressed soon. As the govt has now issued the order, this is a step towards resolving our long-pending demand,” Verma said.
