Soon, farmers to get residential plots near villages
NOIDA: The Noida authority chief executive officer Alok Tandon has directed the staff to allot residential plots to eligible farmers, whose land was acquired for development projects, near their villages as per a uniform policy.
Each eligible applicant will get a plot on residential land located near the village of his/her residence. Earlier, the authority staff (town planning and land department) used to allot the plots in any sector of Noida, giving rise to dispute with regard to the location of the plot.
The new policy to allot a residential plot near the villagers’ present residence, will end corruption in plot allotment to farmers whose land was acquired for urbanisation.
Farmers alleged that the town planning department allots prime location plots in better sectors to influential farmers.
The authority has earmarked 265 plots to eligible farmers, under the new policy, in villages Barola, Badoli Bangar, Badoli Khadar, Sorkha, Yakubpur and Kondli. “While earmarking the plots, we have kept in mind the fact that a residential plot is provided in the same village where we have acquired the land from,” RK Singh, officer on special duty, Noida authority.
The authority had acquired land for the first time in 1976 for setting up industries and other infrastructure in Noida. Later, it acquired land in 1997, 2002 and 2009. The authority had paid a certain compensation for the acquired land.
However, most farmers were unhappy with the amount paid. To pacify farmers, the authority, in 1998, decided to give 5% developed plots to farmers whose land was acquired between 1997 and 2002. Following an Allahabad high court order, the authority also gave 5% developed plots to all farmers whose land was acquired between 2002 and 2009.
“But for last several years, the authority has allotted residential plots only to those farmers who were influential. Many farmers are yet to get residential plots. We appreciate that the authority is giving plots to farmers near their villages without any bias. But the authority should expedite the process,” Kripal Singh, a farmer from Wazidpur village, said.
“The authority will allot residential plots to each eligible farmer as soon as possible,” a Noida authority official said.