03 June,2011 06:49 AM IST | | Anurag Jadli and Shashank Shekhar
UP CM has announced new acquisition rules
With more and more cases of disputed land coming up in Noida, the Uttar Pradesh government seems to be trying hard to avoid another Bhatta-Parsaul like incident. UP chief minister Mayawati today announced the new land acquisition laws which say that the developers have to directly negotiate with farmers to acquire any plot and the state government will just act as a facilitator.
Who's the owner? The land which belongs to the villagers have been
fenced by the Noida authority. (Inset) Ajaypal Singh. Pic/Mid Day
"Under the new land acquisition policy in Uttar Pradesh, developers will directly take property from the farmers. The role of the government will be that of a felicitator," said Mayawati. She promised compensation to the farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul villages in Greater Noida.
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Around ten farmer families has alleged that they cannot till their lands in Noida sector 44, as the Noida authority took over their properties and removed their names from the paperwork. The new guidelines would possibly bring some relief to these farmers as the authority will review all the cases of disputed property.
A Dalit farmer, Ajaypal Singh, owned a plot of land in Sadarpur village (sector 44, Noida). He said the Noida authority took over his land in 2001 and started construction on it without seeking his permission. "I have written complaints to all senior officers in the authority but all were in vain. I have moved the matter to court and have written to Mayawati hoping that she would do something about it," said Ajaypal.
Inherited property
"The 13,860 sq yards area was allotted to my grandfather by the Tehsil's SDM in 1981 under the provisions of Gareebi Yojna. After the death of my grandfather and my father, the land was allotted to me. Our names were updated in the government documents till 2001. In the year 1988, my family along with 13 other families was allotted another plot of land under the family planning scheme. The land was very fertile and we used to do farming on it," said Ajaypal.
In 2001, all of a sudden the Noida authority started construction on these properties. When the owners' complained to the authority, they were told that their names were not there in the land-holding papers. They submitted the documents after which only three of them got their land back with the order of the ADM. The others appealed in Allahabad High Court.
"Though the matter was still in court and the area became a disputed property, the authority started construction on it. In spite of repeated appeals, it didn't respond to our requests. The Allahabad High Court then put stay orders on the land. However the construction work continued," said Ajaypal."u00a0The authority also fenced our land following which the court charged it with contempt of court. Sector 45 is the next Bhatta-Parsaul in making and we are optimistic that with so much political pressure building up we will get back our land," said Ajaypal.
While Noida authority accepted that they have received a court notice, it said it did not have any intention to grab land of the farmers. "Sometime such things happen when the land owner's name gets erased from the documents when they don't turn up during the documentation process," said Noida authority spokesperson.
Mayawati's demands
Mayawati blamed the Centre for the violence against land acquisition in Bhatta and Parsaul villages of Greater Noida. She demanded better land acquisition policy from the Centre, saying that her party will launch an agitation outside the Parliament during its monsoon session if the issue is not resolved. "We will try to ensure that a national policy on land acquisition is made on the lines of the policy in Uttar Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party government has consulted farmers to come up with a new land acquisition policy. The issues of farmers can be resolved only after direct talks with them," said Mayawati. "BSP will gherao the Parliament if the UPA Government does not take concrete steps to resolve land acquisition issues," she said.
Violence in Noida villages
Bhatta-Parsaul hit the headlines on May 7 after four people, including two policemen, were killed when villagers clashed with policemen while agitating for higher compensation for their land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government for development projects. The two villages became a political battlefield as leaders from various parties tried to attain mileage from it. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot were among several Congress MPs who tried to visit the villages after the incident. The Congress had demanded a judicial probe into the violence. Gandhi had also taken a delegation of villagers to meet the PM.
