Govt set to ‘double’ agri land acquisition limit in GB Nagar

Gautam Buddh Nagar is all set to get new agricultural land acquisition norms distinct from those in other districts of Uttar Pradesh, people aware of the development said.

The Yogi Adityanath government, according to them, is considering increasing the current maximum limit on acquiring agricultural land for industrialisation in the district. This proposed exception aims to ensure that the ongoing and proposed development projects, especially the upcoming international airport in Noida’s Jewar, do not fall short of land for their completion.

The current state law prohibits the acquisition of more than 5% of the total agricultural or cropped land for industrial purposes in any given district. However, this limit will likely be raised for Gautam Buddh Nagar due to an acute land shortage, particularly affecting the development of the Jewar airport.

A meeting in this regard was held at the level of the chief secretary a week ago.

“The construction of the Jewar airport has encountered problems in terms of availability of more land for the purpose due to the Land Acquisition Act, which prohibits the purchase of more than 5% of the total agricultural land for a development project in a district,” a senior official of the revenue department said.

“The proposal to double the land acquisition limit from the current 5% to 10% for Gautam Buddh Nagar,” he added. The proposal, he clarified, was only for the district, which was already low on agricultural land and high on industrialisation.

“However, a similar situation is unfolding in Ghaziabad district for which the government may have to tweak rules sooner or later,” the official pointed out.

The proposed adjustment in policy highlights the urgency with which the state government is addressing the land scarcity issue that threatens to impede major infrastructure projects. The Jewar airport, touted as a pivotal development for the region, necessitates substantial land, necessitating this exceptional measure.

“This policy change underscores the balancing act between preserving agricultural land and catering to the burgeoning demand for industrial spaces, crucial for economic development and infrastructure enhancement in Uttar Pradesh,” the official said.

It may be pointed out that the then Akhilesh Yadav government in July 2015 fixed the maximum limit for acquiring agricultural land in any district at 5% of the total crop sowing area there. This was an amendment to his government’s December 2014 decision fixing the limit at 20% for the whole state.