Police fire at farmers
in Greater Noida claim they were forced to retaliate
Three villagers and a policeman were killed, while over 200 were
injured, in a clash outside the Greater Noida Industrial Development
Authority office on Wednesday.
The police said they had to fire to disperse the violent crowd.
The incident took place at about 11 am, when the villagers gathered
outside the GNIDA office started pelting stones.
The farmers were demanding enhanced compensation for land acquired
after 2004.
A committee headed by Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Shravan
Kumar Sharma had recommended that an amount ranging from Rs 175 per sqm
to Rs 200 per sqm be paid for land acquired up to 2006.
The killed villagers were identified as Yogesh (24), Kalua (28) and
Rajinder Sharma (20). The killed PAC man was identified as Sridhar of
the 43rd Battalion.
About 50 of the injured were taken to Kailash Hospital, while 150
others were admitted to other hospitals nearby.
Protestors even tried to torch the hospital but were pacified. The mob
later burned a police gypsy parked outside the hospital.
By late evening, farmers claimed six of their men were killed, while 35
were missing. Police said they arrested 30 persons.
The police claim the protestors fired first with locally made firearms
after which they were forced to retaliate. The villagers, however,
claimed the police fired without any provocation.
Charan Singh (80), told HT, “We were demonstrating peacefully.
Suddenly, the police resorted to lathicharge and started firing.”
“I, along with another villager, hid behind some bushes. But PAC men
dragged us out and assaulted us with sticks till we fainted,” he added.
Victim, Omvir (56), said he was sitting in a park when policemen
started beating him up. “I suffered injuries in my eye, hands and
legs,” he said.
Protestor Risal Singh was in a more belligerent mood and said the
farmers wanted the right to decide whom they sell their land to. “We
want the right to sell our land directly to the private builders,” he
said.
IGP Gian Singh tried to justify the police shooting. “The police
initially deployed water canon, then mild lathi charge and teargas
shells. At last they had to resort to firing in the air to disperse the
uncontrollable mob,” he told mediapersons.
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Projects charted to come up in the
Greater Noida area have cranked up land rates like never before.
Although the market price is sky-rocketing, Greater Noida Industrial
Development Authority is offering paltry sums as compensation,
something farmers say has left them feeling shortchanged. Private
developers are offering better rates.
SOME MAJOR PROJECTS (UNO FOR WHICH WAS BOUGHT BY PRIVATE
DEVELOPERS) COMING UP:
■ Expressway (165 km): Will connect Noida to Agra. Length of the
stretch that falls between Nokia and Greater Noida - 25 km
■Airport at
Jhevar
■ Metro connecting Delhi to Greater Noida
■ Night Safari
■ Tech zone: 670 acre land allotted where IT bigwigs like Wipro, NUT
were allotted land
■ Gautam Budh Nagar University
■ Taj Economic Zone: 1500-acre plot allotted near airport for setting
up hi-tech industries
■ Unitech Township in Noida Sectors 96,97, 98: Unitech is developing an
exclusive township on a 300 acre land with both residential and
commercial components. The township will be self sufficient and will
have facilities like flats, malls, multiplexes, offices, hotels
■ Jaypee township in Noida Sector 128: Allotted 1200 acre land for
developing a similar township along the Taj Expressway.
■ Knowledge Park - Already 80 private medical, engineering,
management and IT colleges have come up in the Knowledge Park
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FAQs
Q. Who is protesting
A. Farmers, mainly from eight villages in Greater Noida -Ghodi
Bachheda, Dhada, Dabra, Saini, Surajpur, Mathurapur, Ajaibpur and
Garbhara - where land was acquired in 2004,2005 and 2006. Land rates
have shot up drastically in these areas over last few years. Villages
close to G. Noida have been protesting for over a year now, but the new
land rates announced this year further stoked discontent among farmers.
Q Why are they protesting
A. They claim Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority
(GNIDA) officials had promised they would be paid the difference
between the old land rates and the revised rates. Land rates were
revised six months back - from about Rs 400 per sqm to Rs 850 per sqm.
The market rate is anywhere between Rs 15,000 per sqm and Rs
30,000 per sqm, depending on location.
Q What are they demanding
A. They are demanding enhanced compensation as per new land
rates with retrospective effect upto year 2004. Villagers paid
compensation under older land rates are demanding they be paid the
difference and that abadi areas not be acquired.
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