Farmers from 44 Villages Unite, Demand 10% Population Land and Write to CM Yogi
Tensions are rising in the industrial hub as farmers representing 44 villages across Greater Noida have launched a unified front, demanding direct intervention from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over a long-pending dispute regarding 10 percent residential population land. During a high-profile press conference held at the Greater Noida Press Club in Sector Swaran Nagari, farming leaders voiced deep frustration, alleging that local authorities have failed to honor full rights and commitments stemming from a historic 2010 agreement. With livelihoods and ancestral land rights at stake, the agrarian community is urging the state administration to step in and rectify decades of administrative discrepancies.
The Historical 2010 Agreement and the Fight for Land Rights
The roots of the current crisis trace back to 2010, when intense farmer agitations—marked by the tragic deaths of five protesters demanding fair compensation and residential plots—shook the region. To resolve the unrest, the state government formed a special committee under the chairmanship of then-minister Thakur Jaiveer Singh, leading to a formal pact between local authorities and farmers guaranteeing 64.7 percent additional compensation along with 10 percent population plots instead of the previous six percent. Farmers point out that this crucial agreement was subsequently presented before the Allahabad High Court in the landmark Gajraj versus Government of Uttar Pradesh case, prompting the court to issue a supportive order while encouraging authorities to resolve cases for non-petitioner farmers equitably.
Allegations of Discriminatory Policies and Irregular Plot Distribution
Frustration among the farming community intensified in 2016 during the previous government's tenure, when proposals for the 10 percent plots were allegedly rejected in a discriminatory manner, even though the 64.7 percent compensation was disbursed universally. Today, local authorities maintain that the 10 percent residential benefit will be restricted exclusively to farmers who approached the court. However, aggrieved leaders claim that various non-petitioner individuals have managed to secure plots through opaque financial transactions. Highlighting board meeting resolutions, the farmers' memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister accuses authorities of distributing plots without proper governmental sanction, prompting an urgent call for state-level approval of full residential land rights for all affected families.
