Noida: On 30 July, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Manch) will begin an indefinite sit-in outside the Noida Authority office in Sector 6. On Saturday, awareness panchayats were held in the villages of Shahpur Govardhanpur, Raipur, Chhalera, Yakubpur and Ilahas, urging farmers to join the protest.
Uttar Pradesh State President Vimal Tyagi warned the Authority that farmers from 81 villages will demand an account of unfinished works when they arrive that day. “They will ask how many farmer-related tasks have been completed and how many are still pending,” he said. Tyagi also accused the Authority of failing to develop the region, pointing out that only 19 per cent of the development budget was spent in the last financial year. “Farmers will no longer tolerate the Authority’s injustice,” he said.
National spokesperson Sudhir Chauhan demanded that the amendment proposals related to the problems of the 81 villages—already passed by the Noida Authority board and sent to Lucknow—must be approved by the state cabinet by 30 July. Until that happens, the protest will continue daily outside the Authority.
Senior vice-president Sonu Lohia added that farmer-related work is not progressing at the Authority, and that farmers have therefore set 30 July as the final deadline. “If all the work is not finished by then, we will shut the Authority completely. Officers must now clear every pending file, otherwise farmers will not let the Authority function at all,” Lohia said.