Land acquisition: Farmers demand compensation

Greater Noida: Scores of agitated farmers protesting against the delay by the state government in providing the 64.7 per cent compensation and allotment of 10 per cent developed plots in lieu of their acquired land, turned violent on Tuesday morning and locked the gates of Greater Noida Authority office breaking police barricades.

Heavy police and PAC force was pressed into action in order to keep the situation under control. The protest was led by Kisan Sangharsh Samiti. The visitors faced a harrowing time for more than two hours until the protest was quelled by the police. The farmers later sat on an indefinite protest outside the authority's main gate to press for their demand alleging that the authority has failed to provide what they had promised earlier.

"The authority is providing 10 per cent developed plots to only those farmers who have gone to Allahabad High court. However the court has ordered authorities to provide 64.7 percent compensation and 10 per cent developed plots to every farmer whose land has been acquired. We also demand that the developed plots should be provided in their home village only" said Manveer Bhati, farmer's leader.

"Instead of providing us what we have been promised, the authority is harassing farmers by levying unnecessary penalties on them, " said a Rajendra Pradhan, a protester.