The Noida authority has decided to delineate the village residential areas (Abadi) of each village prior to initiating land acquisition for the upcoming ‘New Noida’ development in Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr districts in a move to ensure transparency and avoid future disputes, officials said on Sunday. The decision aims to prevent errors that could cause distress to farmers and delay development, they added.
The authority plans to demarcate boundary walls and peripheral roads around each of the 84 villages where land is being acquired for the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR), also known as New Noida. This decision was influenced by issues in Noida, where disputes over original village residential areas, or “old Abadi,” have persisted since planned development began, leading to frequent protests over the last 40 years. This longstanding conflict has fuelled an urban-rural divide and impacted law and order in the area, Noida authority officials said.
However, Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and chairman of Noida authority Manoj Kumar Singh recently approved the authority’s plan to acquire agricultural land for the New Noida project but emphasised avoiding past mistakes from the development of Noida city. “We have taken a resolve not to repeat the mistakes that may have taken place during the development of Noida. We will keep in mind that farmers must get what they deserve right from the beginning so that the development for city expansion happens smoothly,” said Lokesh M, CEO of the Noida Authority.
Following directions from the UP government, the Noida authority will purchase agricultural land directly from farmers, paying them the prevailing rate. The state government will involve various departments to finalise these rates, and farmers will be engaged for a smoother land acquisition process. Lokesh M added that the authority will model its land acquisition process after the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), which is buying land at circle rates without farmer resistance, officials said.
“We will follow the model of the Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority that is also buying the land at a circle rate,” said Lokesh M, CEO of the Noida authority.
The preference for direct land purchase over implementing the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013 (which could be lengthy and contentious) reflects the UP government’s aim to expedite the project, said officials.
The Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR) or New Noida area will span a notified planning area of 20,911 hectares (209.11 square kilometres), encompassing 84 villages—63 in Bulandshahr and 21 in Gautam Buddha Nagar—nearly matching Noida’s developed area. The development approach will mirror that of Noida, where the authority acquires land, establishes infrastructure like roads, water supply, and parks, and then allocates plots to investors, Noida authority officials added.
Farmers are, however, advocating for fair compensation and better civic facilities. “Let the Noida authority or the administration approach us for the land, and then we will put forth our demands. We do not want to suffer like our fellow farmers are suffering in Noida or Greater Noida. We want equal civic facilities at par with sectors, unlike what happened in Noida, where villages are in bad condition,” said Kapil Yadav, a law professor and resident of Sanauta village, part of the New Noida development.
“We will talk to the authority about their rehabilitation package that they would offer to farmers. And then we will decide what to do,” said Prempal Chauhan a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Parishad, a farmers’ group.
