It’s a study in contrast. After the initial euphoria over the court verdicts in their favour, landowners in Shahberi, Patwari and Dewla villages in Greater Noida don’t know when they will get their farm holding back and in what state. No official or project developer has approached them so far. “For the time being, we want to get our land back and go back to farming. It will take us around five years to make the land fit for cultivation,” says Chander Dutt Sharma of Shahberi village, pointing to the construction activity on the land.
There’s a sense of nervous anticipation before the Allahabad High Court verdict on July 26. If it goes in the farmers’ favour, residential projects in around a dozen villages will grind to a halt. That’s huge, putting a question mark on the dreams of an estimated 35-40,000 prospective house-owners who have already invested considerable money. Of course, the uncertainty has already cost developers dearly. “The fault is with the government. When you buy land in a government auction, you go with the premise that there is no problem with the land title,” says Getamber Anand, VP, CREDAI. The lesson for flat-owners, say experts, is to read the offer documents more carefully.
Even in the midst of gloom enveloping prospective house-owners, developers remain optimistic. They are banking on the government being able to “persuade” or let them directly negotiate with farmers. Though small splinter groups among farmers have been voicing willingness to renegotiate with the government for a better price, the majority seem adamant (for the time being) on holding on to ancestral land. As the village elders await further court verdicts, and the shaken flat-owners and builders mull legal options, no one is thinking about the non-landowning farmers. One thing’s for sure: given the proximity to Delhi and the flourishing townships of Noida, this story isn’t over by a long stretch.
