The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Wednesday said that the government will give Rs 2,300 to Rs 2,500 per square metre to farmers for the agricultural land that is to be acquired for an international airport in Jewar, along the 165km Yamuna Expressway.
Yeida chairman and agriculture production commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, Dr Prabhat Kumar, offered the land rate in a meeting held with around 100 farmers at the Gautam Buddha University campus.
The Uttar Pradesh government, in the first phase, wants to acquire 1,441 hectares of land from eight villages – Rohi, Parohi, Banwaribas, Ramner, Dayanatpur, Kishorpur, Mukimpur Shivara and Ranhera.
Of these, three villages will be excluded from the acquisition process as of now, as land from Ramner, Mukimpur Shivara and Banwaribas will not be needed in the first phase.
Kumar called an immediate meeting with farmers after rumors that the state government will acquire land forcibly without the seeking consent of land owners.
“We have made it clear to all farmers that the state government will acquire land only if the farmers give their consent. If the farmers will not agree, the state government will not acquire the land, whether the airport is developed or not. The airport at Jewar will be developed only with the support of the farmers. If they do not happily give their land, the airport project may be dropped,” said Kumar.
The government will acquire a total of 5,000 hectares for the project.
The estimated budget for the project is Rs 15,000- 20,000 crore. The airport is expected to become operational by 2022-23.
“We have given one week’s time to farmers to think and take a decision on our land rate offer. If they give their consent, we will start buying the land right away and credit their land cost directly into their accounts. If they agree, we will buy the land in September and the project will be inaugurated in October,” Kumar said.
Most of the farmers present in the meeting agreed to the rate offered, but they needed some time to take a final decision. Some of them demanded a rate of ₹3,600 per square metre (four times the prevailing circle rate of ₹900 per square metre), but the government is not willing to consent
to this rate as it will inflate project cost.
“If farmers accept the rate of Rs 2,300 per square metre, the government will provide them a residential plot of 50 metres and an additional Rs 5 lakh for construction purposes. If the farmers do not want a plot and the Rs 5 lakh perk, they can accept the Rs 2500 per square metre rate,” the Yeida chairman said.
First Published: Aug 16, 2018 05:42 IST
