Noida land acquisition row: Apex court notice to UP, Noida

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a petition by the farmers of Noida's Visrak and Patwari villages seeking restoration of their lands acquired by the Noida authority.

The notice has also been issued to Noida authority.

A bench of Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice H.L. Gokhale issued notice on the petition of the farmers challenging the Allahabad High Court direction ordering two-thirds increase in compensation to farmers whose land has been acquired by the Noida authority.

The farmers have contended that they do not want compensation, but return of their land.

The high court by its Oct 21, 2011, order quashed the acquisition of land in three villages falling in Noida, Greater Noida and Noida extension while enhancing compensations to the farmers of other villages.

The high court order had come while deciding the plea by 491 farmers belonging more than 12 villages wherein Noida authority had acquired more than 3,000 hectares of land.

The high court had also directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to order a probe into the allotment of land, expressly acquired for setting up industries, to private builders.

It had taken a serious view of the fact that the land that was acquired by for planned industrial development but were passed on to private builders for construction of residential complexes.

The high court had taken note of the fact that these lands were acquired by invoking emergency clause of the land acquisition statute.