Cloud over e-way projects, farmers move high court

There is bad news for an estimated 300,000 homebuyers and homeowners along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Farmers of Shahdra village (Sector 41), located along the highway, on Wednesday moved the Allahabad High Court, seeking quashing of "forcible" acquisition of 108 hectares of land. Other villages along the link have threatened to follow suit.

On Friday, 400 farmers of 24 villages along the Expressway had held a mahapanchayat at village Shahpur and announced they would move court. Farmers have now said they would stall all real estate projects along the highway if their demands for increased compensation and developed plots were not met by July 31.

"Farmers of Sutyana village (sector 137), who owned land in Shahdra, moved court on Tuesday. Farmers of village Shahdra, followed by other villages along the Expressway, will also move court, seeking quashing of land acquisition," said Kisan Sangharsh Samiti spokersperson Mahesh Awana.

Several builders, including Jaypee Group, Unitech, 3C and Purvanchal Group, are building houses along the expressway. Apart from houses, hospitals, schools and commercial establishments are also being set up along the 6-lane highway, running up to 24.5 km. This is a major setback for the Noida Authority as chairman Balvindar Kumar had on Tuesday visited Shahdra and held a meeting with farmers.

Meanwhile, farmers agitating in Noida sectors on Wednesday threatened they would stall all construction projects in the city from August 5, if their demand for increased compensation were not met by then. Noida chairman Balvindar Kumar, despite his daily visits to protesting villages, has not been able to promise hike in compensation already paid.

The Noida Authority has said the demands had reached a near-impossible level.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cloud-over-e-way-projects-farmers-move-high-court/Article1-726378.aspx