Authority to buy land directly from farmers for New Noida project

The Noida authority is all set to buy land directly from farmers through a direct registry for the New Noida Project, which is part of the city’s expansion plan, officials said on Monday. The land procurement for the project will be through direct buying from farmers, without implementing the Land Acquisition Act-2013, which usually takes a long time to acquire the land, officials said. This decision was made during the board meeting of the authority held recently.

The New Noida project is a part of the draft Master Plan-2041, which is aimed at addressing the long-term infrastructure and socio-economic growth of the region. The project is proposed to be developed in the Dadri-Sikandrabad area, which is considered a crucial industrial hub of the state.

According to the officials, the authority has earmarked 21,000 hectares of agricultural land in 86 villages of Bulandshahr and Gautam Budh Nagar district for the development of the project.

According to the rules, the authority can buy at least 25% of the total area through direct buying from landowners, including farmers. The remaining land will have to be bought through the Land Acquisition Act-2013. The decision to buy agricultural land for the expansion of Noida came after the authority realized that the demand for land for industries, universities, and other projects is on the rise and there is no vacant land in Noida city, officials said.

According to the draft master plan, the authority has reserved dedicated areas for universities, industries, financial offices, and residential purposes. Out of the 21,000 hectares, the authority has allotted 8,111 hectares for industries, 2,000 hectares for residential projects, and 1,662 hectares for setting up institutes, including universities and medical colleges. The expansion project is expected to cater to 600,000 residents.

Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Noida authority, said that the decision to buy land directly from farmers would help start work on the project. “Initially, the authority will buy land for infrastructure projects such as roads, parks, and other for the project,” she said adding that the authority has allocated ₹1000 crore for the land buying work.

The Noida authority is likely to start the land buying process in July 2023 after completing all formalities, officials said.