Farmers who had their land acquired for the development of Noida city are finally set to receive possession of residential plots in Sector 145 after a delay of nearly a decade, as published by Hindustan Times.
On Saturday, the Noida Authority officially began the process of taking over the land in a bid to mark the beginning of allotment to approximately 2,200 farmers.
The long-awaited move follows the settlement of all pending legal disputes between the Noida Authority and the landowners, with the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court clearing the way. “Our objective is that the farmers do not face any hassle, and they get their plots because they have supported the authority in the development of this well-planned city,” said Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M.
The Noida Authority is allotting 5% of the residential plots to the farmers whose land was acquired for the city’s development. The allotment relates specifically to a 31-hectare land parcel in Village Begumpur, Sector 145, where officials started demarcating the plots by installing boundary pillars on Saturday.
The acquisition process in Begumpur began back in 2007, when Noida issued notifications under the Land Acquisition Act for 108 hectares. However, the acquisition process faced delays after the Allahabad High Court imposed a stay order on the process in February 2008.
Following the lifting of the stay order, the authority took possession of seven hectares in June 2008 and the remaining 101 hectares in June 2013. The compensation awards were announced by the additional district magistrate (Land) in January 2011 and December 2013.
Several landowners in Sector 145 challenged the acquisition in 2011 by filing a writ petition before the High Court. In September 2019, the High Court upheld the acquisition but ordered compensation to be paid at prevailing market rates for those landowners who had not accepted compensation earlier. Noida Authority, along with some farmers, approached the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s ruling in May 2022. A review petition filed by the authority was dismissed in November 2022.
After the courts’ directions, a fresh compensation award was issued in January 2023 based on prevailing market rates. A review filed by some farmers was dismissed in May 2023, and the final compensation award was issued by the district collector in July 2024.
With all legal hurdles cleared, the Noida Authority has now begun marking plots for the 2,200 farmers. The 31 hectares allocated for this allotment are fully acquired and free of any pending stay orders.
To ensure the smooth execution of the demarcation process, a heavy police presence, including senior officers, was in place. While a case regarding enhanced compensation remains pending, the Noida Authority confirmed its commitment to complying with any future court directions.
“We have been waiting for the possession of the plot for the last 10 years,” said Hemraj Singh, a farmer from Wazidpur. “We got the allotment in 2013-14, but until now, we have not received possession of our plots in Sector 145.”