More farmers to move court for quashing land buy

Stepping up pressure on the Uttar Pradesh government for better compensation, more farmers here today decided to move court seeking to quash acquisition of their land.

At a panchayat meeting in Sadullapur, farmers decided to file petitions to quash acquisition of their acquired properties. "Without court case, authorities do not agree for negotiations," farmer leader Surinder Bhatti said.

At other panchayat meetings in Amnabad, Jewar and Dankore areas, farmers were of similar view and apparently agreed to move their petitions before August 17, even as Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) today distributed cheques among 100 patwari farmers who agreed to accept hiked compensation.

Till now, around 750 farmers have signed the pact with GNIDA.

Farmers also took strong exception to the passage amidst din of a bill in the UP Assembly scrapping a provision that allows people to seek restoration of their acquired land if it remains unused for more than five years.

"This is anti-farmer amendment," a local Congress leader Virendra Dhada said.