PM Modi’s inauguration of Jewar Airport has been splashed across the news today. Going unheard are the voices of 800+ farmers affected by the land acquisition who have been resisting their loss of land & livelihood for over 5 years. Read here: https://landconflictwatch.org/conflicts/farmers-protest-change-of-land-status-for-jewar-airport-demand-higher-compensatio. THREAD:

Mere months before notifying the acquisition, the govt issued a notification changing the status of the land from rural to urban. Under the LARR, 2013, rural landowners are entitled to 4x the market value as total compensation. Urban land is eligible for just 2x the market value.

Second, the Civil Aviation Ministry guidelines for greenfield airports placed restrictions on building a civilian airport within 150 km of an existing one (see image 1). The Modi government relaxed this norm in 2016 (see image 2), and the project was cleared soon after, in 2017.

The affected farmers have been struggling to challenge the irregularities in land acquisition in both executive & judicial forums. 2 days after the govt issued the land acquisition notification, several farmers filed affidavits with the district magistrate revoking their consent.

The affected farmers have been struggling to challenge the irregularities in land acquisition in both executive & judicial forums. 2 days after the govt issued the land acquisition notification, several farmers filed affidavits with the district magistrate revoking their consent.

A petition challenging the constitutionality of the change in status of the village land from rural to urban has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court (on the grounds of being violative of Art. 243Q) and is currently being heard.

In Feb 2019, several farmers filed another petition before the Allahabad HC demanding 4x the market rate as compensation, which they would be entitled to under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The writ was rejected by the court in April, clearing the way for land acquisition.

The farmers’ resistance continued despite the court’s ruling: in Sept 2019, 47 farmers were arrested as they laid siege to the Jewar toll plaza. More petitions were filed before the High Court challenging the land status change via govt notification, and inadequate compensation.

In August 2020, the Special Secy (Civil Aviation Ministry) asked the DM to revise the compensation based on the 2013 Act per provisions for rural areas. But affected farmers claim that it has not been revised & that residents have been forcibly evicted without rehabilitation.

The Jewar Airport Sangharsh Samiti has now filed a PIL before the Allahabad High Court seeking rehabilitation. The matter has been listed for hearing on 2 December.