Thaindian News

Lucknow, May 16 (IANS) Stung by the widespread criticism over the farmers’ agitation in Greater Noida, the Mayawati government Monday issued a statement to emphasise that it had evolved a very pragmatic farmer-friendly land acquisition policy and the compensation offered by her government for acquisition of land was far higher than what the centre paid to farmers.

The statement said: “Farmers were being paid at the rate of Rs.44 lakh per acre for their land acquired in Noida, Rs.36 lakh per acre in Greater Noida, between Rs.22 lakh to Rs.35 lakh per acre for land acquired for Yamuna Expressway in different districts.”

The statement pointed out that the rate of compensation being offered by the union ministry of railways for setting up a Rail Coach Factory in Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency, Rae Bareli, stood between Rs.2.9 lakh to Rs.4.35 lakh per acre.

Referring to the much-hyped agitation of farmers in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, the statement claimed: “The compensation rate for the acquisition of land for Yamuna Expressway in Agra district was about Rs.24 lakh per acre, whereas the compensation rate being offered by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for acquisition of land for the widening of NH-11 in Agra was barely between Rs.9.6 lakh per acre to Rs.22 lakh per acre.”

Citing another example, it added, “The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) had given a compensation of Rs.44 lakh per acre, while NHAI offered just about Rs.32 lakh per acre for acquisition of land for construction of Eastern Peripheral Expressway in the same region.”

It also said that the Uttar Pradesh government had included several attractive packages alongwith the monetary compensation.

These included, “alternative of taking company’s share upto 25 percent of the annual assistance in case the land is acquired for a company; 7 percent of the land for development to be given to farmers after developing it properly; job for one member of the family whose land is acquired and reservation of 17.5 percent plots of the housing schemes for farmers.

“In addition, an amount of Rs.20,000 per acre per annum was being provided as annuity for a length of 33 years to the affected farmer whose land had been acquired. It would be given a fixed increase of Rs.600 every year, which would be payable in every July.”

If a farmer did not want to take the annuity, then he would be paid a one-time amount of Rs.240,000 per acre as rehabilitation subsidy. If a company acquired the land, then the farmer would have the option to hold 25 percent share of the land acquired by the company, the statement said.