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Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
In 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government acquired 1,200 square meter of Vikas Singh's land for the Jewar International Airport, located barely 75 km away from the National Capital. Singh, a farmer from Dayanatpur village on the outskirts of Jewar, was promised a plot, monetary compensation, and a cattle-shed.
Five years later, however, Singh is waiting for the Uttar Pradesh government to keep these promises as he lives in a rented house without any permanent source of income.
"I used to plough 12 bighas of my land and had four buffaloes and two cows. I owned 1,200 square meter land in this village. The administration acquired my land and promised that they will rehabilitate me. They said I will be given a home, and a farm for the animals. Till date, however, I have been allotted only 600 square meter of land. My buffaloes have nowhere to go, and my cow has died," he says.
The UP government has arranged for rehabilitation of these families in Jewar Banger Township, nearly 7 Km from Dayanatpur. Singh, however, claims that the new plots in Jewar Banger are inhabitable, as they lack basic facilities such as water and electricity connections. This,he says, is the primary reason why he and many others like him continue living in rented houses in Dayanatpur itself.
Since 2017, farmers have staged multiple demonstrations and organised mahapanchayats to register their disapproval of the compensation and rehabilitation process. Many even allege large-scale corruption in land acquisition.
Raisuddin, 43, a labourer, says, "The government offered us compensation which was only twice the circle rate in this area. This is in violation of the law. We are demanding compensation equal to four times the circle rate of our area."
Villagers allege that Dayanatpur was notified as an 'urban area' right before the acquisition process started.
Hazra, another farmer who is living in a makeshift tent in Dayanatpur with her family, says that her family is struggling to get basic facilities such as water and electricity. "We haven't received our compensation. They are exploiting the poor. There is no electricity. We don't even have a kabristan to bury our dead," she says. "Where do we go and die now?"
"Whenever we go to the authorities to ask for our money, everybody from the lowest to the highest level demands a bribe," alleges 69-year-old Raghunandan Sharma. "These corrupt officers should be fired and boycotted. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should probe them," he laments.
Around 5o acres of Sharma's land was acquired by the UP government for the project but he is not alone. Vikas Singh, Raisuddin, Hazra and several other residents of the village made similar allegations.
"We are living in these makeshift tents here in Dayanatpur because we could not afford the bribes which were being asked for," Hazra says. Singh concurs. "Those who are able to afford, pay the officers and are getting their work done. How is it fair to pay money to these officials to get our own money back?" he asks.
Residents of Dayanatpur are not thrilled about the upcoming state assembly elections. "We are Muslims. This government anyway doesn't listen to us," says Raisuddin. "We don't think it matters to them if we vote for them or not," he adds.
Nizamuddin Mohammad, 53, says that they will show black flags to the BJP leaders who come to their village to ask for votes.
Some like Raghunandan Sharma, however, have pinned their hopes on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "Yogi (Adityanath) isn't asking the officials to take bribes. It is the bureaucrats who are corrupt and who should be fired," he says.
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