Jewar airport: Farmers seek suitable compensation for land

As widely expected, the go-ahead for the much awaited international airport at Jewar has thrown a state of excitement among the residents and the farmers of a somnolent constituency of Gautam Buddh Nagar as once developed, the airport is expected to give the landscape an urban makeover.

The airport has been proposed to come along the 165-km long Yamuna Expressway and will acquire nearly 5,000 hectares of land in the area.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has been given a crucial task to play in the airport project as the authority has been assigned with the development of the region and acquiring farmer's land for the project.

However, the local farmer leaders have demanded a direct interference of the central government and the airport authority in the matter of giving compensation to the farmers against their acquired land for the Jewar airport project.

"Though the farmers in the area are delighted with the approval given to the international airport at Jewar but looking at the present condition of the local authorities and the previous long time struggle we had with them, we want to deal direct with the airport authority and the central government in the matter of compensation," said Dushyant Nagar, Conveyor, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti.

"As land is the only source of livelihood for the poor farmers, we also demand the central authority to assure the children of these farmers, relevant jobs in the opportunities thus created by the new airport. If adequate compensation and better job opportunities are promised, the farmers in the area are looking forward to giving up their land with much happy faces," added Nagar.

Farmers of Noida and Greater Noida have had a long term struggle with the local authorities in the matter of getting handsome compensation against their acquired land.

"At the time of acquiring land, we are always promised that we will be paid handsomely. That's why we always accept the compensation. But after acquiring the land, the authority has always treated us shabbily and we were paid paltry compensation," complaint several farmers.

"The farmers are not opposed to acquisition of their land by the government. All they want is the adequate compensation and better opportunities which will improve their standard of living," said Shyamveer Mavi, district secretary of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Uttar Pradesh).