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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Dhirendra Singh has flagged serious concerns over what he described as the continued failure to revise farmers' compensation, circle rates and rehabilitation benefits in the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Authority regions despite a sharp rise in land prices.
"The failure to increase farmers' compensation and circle rates despite a sharp rise in land prices is unfair, ignoring farmers' interests is unjustified," Singh said in a detailed letter sent to concerned authorities and senior administrative officials, demanding immediate policy correction and intervention. The Jewar MLA noted that over the past nearly four years, land values in the region have seen a significant upward trend, with residential plot rates increasing by around 53 per cent and industrial plot rates rising by nearly 63 per cent. He said this clearly reflects the continuous appreciation in market value, making existing compensation rates outdated and inequitable. Singh argued that continuing compensation at old rates despite such escalation in land prices goes against the principles of social and economic justice, especially for farmers whose ancestral land has been acquired for large-scale development projects. He further said that the benefits of infrastructure and industrial growth should not remain limited to development authorities and investors alone, but must also extend fairly to farmers who have contributed land for regional progress. "The role of administrative institutions cannot be restricted only to revenue generation. The primary responsibility of the government and administration is to safeguard the interests of farmers and ordinary citizens," Singh said in his letter. He added that if incentives and facilitation can be extended to industries and investors, then the legitimate concerns of farmers must not be overlooked. Referring to judicial principles, the MLA stated that the Supreme Court and various High Courts have repeatedly held that land acquisition is not merely an administrative process but a matter of fairness, transparency and equitable participation. "Development can be considered meaningful only when the farmers, who lay its very foundation, are also given dignity, justice, and rightful participation in its benefits," he said. Singh also questioned procedural delays, stating that since the Authority functions as an autonomous body with its own board and policy mechanism to promote commerce and industry, long-pending issues related to farmers should not be unnecessarily escalated to the government for approval. The MLA wrote, "When the Authority is an autonomous body and functions through its own Board and policy decisions to promote commerce and industry, it does not appear appropriate that long-pending matters concerning farmers are unnecessarily referred to the Government for consideration and approval." Through his representation, the MLA has urged the state government and concerned authorities to treat the matter with priority and ensure prompt revision of compensation, circle rates and rehabilitation benefits in line with current land values. (ANI)
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