Jewar MLA bats for development of villages and not just cities, industries

Noida, Jun 7 (PTI) With the Uttar Pradesh government acquiring land around the proposed Noida International Airport, Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh on Friday held a meeting with local bureaucrats as he pitched for the development of villages and not just cities and industries in the region.

The second-term BJP lawmaker, who played a key role in negotiating the acquisition of land for the airport, last month wrote to the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh government's board of revenue over issues concerning farmers and villagers in Jewar.

The upcoming greenfield airport is located in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district in western Uttar Pradesh. It is a public-private partnership project, being helmed by the state government.

On Friday, Singh held a two-hour meeting with officials from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) over various concerns raised by farmers, according to a statement from his office.

He emphasised the importance of considering farmers' sentiments and respect in the land acquisition process, alongside future needs.

He stressed that YEIDA "should avoid acquiring populated areas around villages", advocating for development that acknowledges current populations and farmers' requirements.

"Planned development does not only mean the development of cities and industrial sectors but also the development of villages based on current needs," Singh said.

"While we talk about establishing excellent industrial and urban areas, we must also implement employment-oriented schemes for the overall development of villages and farmers in our policies," he added.

Key issues discussed in the meeting included providing benefits from new land acquisitions to farmers, excluding farmers' populated areas from acquisition, implementing a uniform compensation policy, and ensuring the livelihood of farmers and their children, according to the statement.

YEIDA Chief Executive Officer Arun Vir Singh assured the MLA of taking decisions favourable to farmers, it added.

Construction work for the first phase of the airport -- spread over 1,300 hectares -- is underway and it is expected to open for flight operations by the end of this year.

The complete project, to be developed in four phases, is envisaged on 5,000 hectares and the land acquisition process for the subsequent phases is underway, according to officials. PTI KIS SZM