With the Centre approving plans for an international airport in Greater Noida’s Jewar, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), the nodal agency for the massive project, has identified nine villages that will have to be acquired at an estimated cost of ₹6,000 crore for phase one of the project.
The majority of farmers have said that they have no issues in selling their land, provided the authorities offer ‘handsome deals’.
Mukeempur, Siwara, Kishorepur, Banwaripur, Rohi, Ramner, Nagla Ganeshi, Nagla Foolkha, Nagla Shareefkha and Nagla Cheetar villages have been earmarked for land acquisition, said YEIDA additional CEO Amar Nath Upadhyay.
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‘Need more staff’
YEIDA chairman Prabhat Kumar said the first phase, in which one runway and one terminal will be built, will come up on 1,000 hectares. The airport will ultimately require 5,000 hectares, with 3,000 hectares going towards three more runways.
The authority has written to the State government seeking additional staff as a dedicated team will be required to complete the herculean task of buying the land and resettling farmers.
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Once YEIDA receives the ‘go ahead’ signal from the government, it will start its drive to buy the land and re-settle the farmers.
The process of selecting the company that will build the airport will also take place alongside the acquisition process.
The project is to be developed on the Public-Private Partnership model.
On whether YEIDA was worried about farmers’ unrest over land acquisition, Mr. Kumar said: “Farmers are also stakeholders. We are sure that they will cooperate to change the economy of this region and the State.”
Subhash Kumar, a farmer from Rohi, said the farmers do not have any issue in giving their land.
“We have been eagerly waiting for the project for the past 16 years. We are expecting a good deal from the authority and a good resettlement policy. If the authority and the government do not pay heed to these two basic demands, we will protest for justice,” he said.