Abadi land dispute: Protesting farmers break barricades near Noida authority office
They urged the Noida authority not to touch their extended abadi in villages, while demanding for an additional land compensation, settlement of the land dispute, among other benefits.
Farmers from across Noida removed barricades, broke a gate of the outer periphery, and reached the city authority’s main administrative building in Sector 6 on Monday to protest against the authority and the Uttar Pradesh government over the abadi land dispute.
They urged the authority not to touch their extended abadi in villages, while demanding for an additional land compensation, settlement of the land dispute, among other benefits. They have been protesting over the issue since September 1. Police had earmarked a space near the Harola community centre there to maintain a proper vehicular movement in the area during the ongoing protest which usually takes place nearly 800 meters away from the authority office.
On Monday afternoon, nearly 1,500 farmers on tractors marched towards the main administrative building, while shouting slogans against the authority and the state government. Police tried to stop them, but the farmers outnumbered them, removed the barricades, and broke the lock of one of the gates on the outer periphery, which leads to the Noida authority’s main administrative building.
“Our protest has been going on for 27 days (till Monday), but the Noida authority is not considering our demands seriously, or solving the abadi land dispute. Farmers who gave their land for the development of this well-planned city are facing a lot of difficulties. It seems that the authority is trying to ruin their lives further. But we will not let this happen. Our agitation will continue until all the issues are addressed,” said Anil Yadav, senior farmer leader, who is also leading the protest.
Many women farmers, children, and elderly people also joined the protest on Monday. With expanded families, there is no land left for the children in the villages, they said.
“There are no drains, sewer lines, clean drinking water, roads, or other basic amenities in our villages. The authority officials are misleading the state government, and are not addressing our grievances,” said Sukhbir Arya, a farmer leader from Bhartiya Kisan Parishad.
The authority, however, said it is ready to accept the demands of the farmers within legal limitations. “We have discussed the farmers’ issues many times, and are ready to talk to the farmers. But we cannot accept some of their demands due to legal issues... We can sit and discuss this,” said a Noida authority official, requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Gautam Budh Nagar additional deputy commissioner of police, Ranvijay Singh, convinced the farmers to return to the Harola protest site. “We have appealed to the farmers to continue their agitation peacefully at the designated site. The farmers agreed to this and returned to the Harola protest site. We hope that the farmers and the authority will resolve the issues amicably, at the earliest.”