Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president and former union minister Ajit Singh on Monday put the Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh government in dock over recent incidents in Noida, Greater Noida and Noida Extension over land acquisition and compensation issues.
“The situation has risen due to misuse of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and the illegal imposition of emergency clause therein, which started the loot,” he said. He supported the demands raised by Noida land owners regarding compensation rates. “The farmers’ demand is justified and the state government should act earnestly to resolve the issue.”
Singh also expressed sympathy for the gullible flat buyers, who are now clueless about their investment, since a large number of real estate projects have bore the brunt of court rulings and farmers’ protests.
Noida farmers have moved the Allahabad High Court alleging forcible acquisition of their land by authorities, under the garb of industrial development and transferring it to private developers at higher prices. The farmers are either demanding their land back or higher compensation according to prevailing market rates. While, HC had already de-notified several hundred hectares of land in Noida, a bunch of similar petitions are likely to be heard tomorrow spanning other villages.
“The issue should be resolved to protect the interests of both the farmers and the flat buyers. Although, the court has ruled that the builders should refund money to investors with interest, I feel it would be difficult for the developers to refund, because stalled projects would not generate any cash flow,” Singh added.
He announced if RLD formed the next government in UP, it would ensure the new land acquisition policy of the state was implemented retrospectively to cover projects, which had taken off after the “illegal acquisition of land started by the Mayawati regime.”
Singh said RLD had been raising the land acquisition issue for the last five years in western UP, much before other political outfits.
