Buyers, builders to protest today

Builders, buyers and labourers will take out a protest march and block traffic in Noida on Monday. They will protest against the government's failure to solve the Noida Extension crisis. An estimated 5 lakh labourers have been affected.

At a time when everyone is talking about the interests of buyers and builders, a new dimension was added to the Noida Extension crisis on Sunday.

Several contractors and labourers, who became jobless after builders shut shops in several pockets of the area after the court orders, took out a protest march, seeking their dues and rehabilitation. Hundreds of buyers also protested in Noida Extension.

"No one is giving a thought to us. We are the worst sufferers," said RK Sharma, general secretary, Contractors' Welfare Union. "Builders have not paid crores of rupees to contractors. We don't know how to pay the labourers," said Atul Yadav, president of the union.

"We have decided to block traffic on Monday," said Narottam Singh, a contractor.

"There is no food or money left for our children," Jaishree Devi, a labourer said.

Buyers target agents
With complaints about builders refusing to refund buyers, property agents are in the line of fire. At Sector 27, buyers were seen pressurising an agent, R Mehta.

"We had booked a flat on the assurance that the property was not a disputed one. You should force the builder to refund us the amount with interest," said a buyer. Similar situations were witnessed at some agent offices in sector 19 and 26.