Gr Noida: Farmers protest to demand compensation for acquired land, Brinda Karat slams BJP

Hundreds of farmers assembled to protest in Greater Noida on Monday over their demand for enhanced compensation for their land acquired by the local authority. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also joined the farmers from nearly 40 villages protesting outside the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) amid heavy police deployment.

Holding demonstration on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, a peasants' leader, the farmers said their land was acquired by the GNIDA over the years but due compensation has not been paid to them, while 10 percent developed plot which was to be returned to them by the authority in lieu of their acquired land was also not given. The protestors also demanded a reservation of 50 percent for local people in private companies that have come up in the region and submitted a memorandum of their demands to district officials.

GNIDA officials said the process for giving developed six percent land to farmers has been put on fast track and added that making 50 percent reservation for locals in private jobs would result in private investors fleeing to other states. "The BJP government (which controls the GNIDA) in the state has betrayed the farmers. The high court had asked the government to ensure 64.7 percent of land compensation in cash and providing 10 percent redeveloped plot to them against their acquired land. I joined the protest to support the farmers," Karat told PTI.

Amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (ACT), the senior Left party leader accused the BJP leadership of dividing the country on religious issues. "The farmers are not getting their due compensation but instead the BJP leaders all over and in western Uttar Pradesh are busy dividing people in the name of religion," Karat said.

GNIDA CEO Narendra Bhooshan said, "The process to give six percent developed land of the land acquired from farmers is already in fast track process. The process is expected to be completed by the coming January end." Also, hundreds of cases of farmers over hiked compensation are pending in courts, he added.

On job reservation demand, Bhooshan told PTI, "Greater Noida region has jobs in large numbers in recent years because of a lot of private companies coming here. Now putting a 50 percent reservation condition on them can make them move out of the state where there are no such restrictions. Here qualified people are getting jobs and several locals are among them." Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said no law and order situation occurred due to the farmers protests on Monday.