Greater Noida land acquisition issue: Developing land of a million mutinies
NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW: Politicians in Uttar Pradesh have hit the yet-to-be-opened Yamuna Expressway connecting Greater Noida to Agra, with a vengeance. Violence between farmers and local police over land allotted to private builders along the asphalt track could be their highway to power in the elections next year. And no one is willing to concede an inch.
On Monday, BJP leader Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party's Mohan Singh and Shivpal Singh Yadav tried to reach the site of the violence. But they were stopped by local authorities. Congress too joined the chorus and put the onus on the Mayawati government for being "extremely insensitive to the cause of the farmers and poor people in recent years."
The incidents, which began last week and spilled over to Agra on Monday, however, have left businesses, which include car and television factories, and several private builders waiting to take advantage of the new infrastructure, in a state of confusion. Dotting the expressway, being built by Jaypee Group - a private company with interests in cement, hotels and infrastructure - are several housing and commercial projects launched by other small and big builders. Jaypee is also building India's first formula one racing track, barely a few km from the villages, where the violence emanated.
Greater Noida will host India's first F1 race in October this year. Executive Chairman of Jaiprakash Associates Manoj Gaur clarified that "all the land required for development of the Yamuna Expressway and Formula One Motor Racing track at Dankaur near Greater Noida has been acquired and mutually agreed compensation paid to farmers. There is no land acquisition going on for any project of Jaypee Group in this area." Farmers have been agitating over better compensation against land acquired by the state government.
Their contention is that the government acquired land from them at prices as low as Rs 450-850 for a sqm but sold those later to private developers at Rs 4,500-5 ,500 per sqm. These developers are now selling the same land at Rs 15,000 - 17,000 per sq yard. An official in the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority said, "If even one of the farmer goes to court and manages to obtain a stay, some of the projects will be stalled." In August, 2010, farmers had agitated in Tappal in Aligarh, Mathura and Agra against land acquisition for the Yamuna Expressway and some townships being built by JP Infratech.
This time again, the agitation has spread from Bhatta and Parsaul villages in Greater Noida to Tappal in Aligarh and beyond to Agra as well. The state government has tried to pass off the matter as a local law and order problem. UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said that the land being acquired in Bhatta and Parsaul villages, which was the epicentre of violence this week, was meant for normal development. He said that the land acquisition had started long ago and many farmers had accepted compensation worth Rs 120 crore in Bhatta and Rs 180 crore in Parsaul.
On Monday, BJP leader Rajnath Singh and Samajwadi Party's Mohan Singh and Shivpal Singh Yadav tried to reach the site of the violence. But they were stopped by local authorities. Congress too joined the chorus and put the onus on the Mayawati government for being "extremely insensitive to the cause of the farmers and poor people in recent years."
The incidents, which began last week and spilled over to Agra on Monday, however, have left businesses, which include car and television factories, and several private builders waiting to take advantage of the new infrastructure, in a state of confusion. Dotting the expressway, being built by Jaypee Group - a private company with interests in cement, hotels and infrastructure - are several housing and commercial projects launched by other small and big builders. Jaypee is also building India's first formula one racing track, barely a few km from the villages, where the violence emanated.
Greater Noida will host India's first F1 race in October this year. Executive Chairman of Jaiprakash Associates Manoj Gaur clarified that "all the land required for development of the Yamuna Expressway and Formula One Motor Racing track at Dankaur near Greater Noida has been acquired and mutually agreed compensation paid to farmers. There is no land acquisition going on for any project of Jaypee Group in this area." Farmers have been agitating over better compensation against land acquired by the state government.
Their contention is that the government acquired land from them at prices as low as Rs 450-850 for a sqm but sold those later to private developers at Rs 4,500-5 ,500 per sqm. These developers are now selling the same land at Rs 15,000 - 17,000 per sq yard. An official in the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority said, "If even one of the farmer goes to court and manages to obtain a stay, some of the projects will be stalled." In August, 2010, farmers had agitated in Tappal in Aligarh, Mathura and Agra against land acquisition for the Yamuna Expressway and some townships being built by JP Infratech.
This time again, the agitation has spread from Bhatta and Parsaul villages in Greater Noida to Tappal in Aligarh and beyond to Agra as well. The state government has tried to pass off the matter as a local law and order problem. UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said that the land being acquired in Bhatta and Parsaul villages, which was the epicentre of violence this week, was meant for normal development. He said that the land acquisition had started long ago and many farmers had accepted compensation worth Rs 120 crore in Bhatta and Rs 180 crore in Parsaul.
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