Greater Noida: A wave of protests has broken out in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida, where the office of the development authority has become a hotbed of demonstrations — from homebuyers, farmers, and, latest of all, safai karamcharis (sanitation workers). What all these diverse groups are clamouring for is a resolution to their long-pending grievances.
While public discontent has been mounting for a long time against the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA), a statutory body of the UP government, the protests have surged ever since the appointment of IAS officer Ravi Kumar NG as its new CEO earlier this month.
The protesters say that they hope the change of guard might finally resolve their problems— from homebuyers who are still waiting for apartments that were never built, to farmers seeking better compensation and jobs in return for their acquired land, to contractual safai karamcharis demanding higher pay and permanent employment.
With all these groups camping around the sprawling GNIDA office, the gates are often shut tight, and there is a substantial police presence in the area to curb any untoward activity.
The new CEO, meanwhile, is appealing for some more time to figure out solutions.
“The protests are taking place every day. I have met the protesters and have requested them to give me some time. The problems which can be solved from my end will be done as soon as possible, but the issues that require the intervention of the Uttar Pradesh government will take time,” Ravi Kumar NG told ThePrint.
He acknowledged that many of these issues are rooted in the 2000s and come with substantial financial implications.
“We need time. I am requesting that, with a promise that everything will be figured out soon,” he added.
Despite boasting swanky high-rise buildings, and with residents aspiring to brand it as “GreNo” to keep up with Noida and Gurgaon, Greater Noida remains embroiled in long-standing disputes and scams. From contentious land acquisitions to legal wrangles to unscrupulous builders who have left homebuyers and GNIDA at a loss, the area has been grappling with these challenges for decades, as reported earlier by ThePrint.
Here’s a brief look at why various groups are protesting.
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Sanitation workers’ protest
Hundreds of safai karamcharis had congregated in front of the GNIDA office, with some sitting on rugs they had laid out on the ground when ThePrint visited Greater Noida last week.
The safai karamcharis are the latest group to launch a demonstration. Armed with placards and chanting slogans, they are demanding increased salaries and enhanced job security from the new CEO.
While they met Ravi Kumar NG twice last week, the workers have decided not to budge until they get tangible results.
“We are not able to make ends meet. The new CEO has assured us help, but we will not move till our demands are met,” said Rohit Kumar, 30, a contractual safai karamchari.
He claimed that the karamcharis were promised by officials in January that their monthly salary would be increased to Rs 20,000, but nothing has materialised yet.
“I have been working since 2009 and earn Rs 13,800.
In January, we were told that our salary has been increased to Rs 20,000 according to the government guidelines of increment, but we never received that,” said Rohit Kumar, who lives in Dadri and travels one hour every day to Greater Noida for work.
“Our second demand is that the employees should be made permanent,” he added. “We have been working as contractual employees for years now. We have no job safety.”
While the GNIDA CEO has set up a five-member committee to look into the issue of safai karamcharis, Rohit Kumar said they plan to continue their protest until their demands are met.
“We don’t want any more assurances,” he added.
Farmers up in arms
Soon after Ravi Kumar NG assumed the CEO position, hundreds of farmers from 81 villages converged outside the authority office and renewed a protest they started years ago.
As reported previously by ThePrint, the farmers are insisting on the return of 10 percent of the residential land as against the total land acquired from them for development by the authority. Although a few farmers have received compensation in the form of both money and land, the majority are still awaiting proper restitution.
“We have raised three demands — jobs to the farmers whose land was acquired for the industrial development of the Greater Noida, better compensation from the authority, and the return of 10 per cent of acquired land,” said Rupesh Kumar, a farmer who has been at the forefront of the protest.
In June, the farmers declined to meet former GNIDA CEO Ritu Maheshwari, claiming that she was not receptive to their demands. They are now vesting their hopes in Ravi Kumar NG.
“IAS Kumar has met us twice and assured us that our demands will be met. He has sought some time but he is listening. It was a struggle to meet the previous CEO Maheshwari. During her tenure, not a single demand was met,” said Rupesh Kumar.
Irate homebuyers
There are over one lakh homebuyers in Greater Noida who are either awaiting possession or registration of their flats, according to a database maintained by the Noida Extension Flat Owners & Members Association (NEFOMA)
On 17 July, members of this association arrived at the GNIDA office to put forth their demands for construction of booked apartments and expediting the registry process.
The homebuyers, who were planning to launch a protest, said Ravi Kumar NG was receptive to their demands.
“We met Kumar NG and he heard our grievances for an hour. He assured us that he will do everything in his capacity to ensure that our demands are met. It has revived our hopes,” said NEFOMA president Annu Khan.
There already seem to be signs of progress. More than 1,100 homebuyers in Greater Noida (West) are set to obtain ownership rights after the Greater Noida Authority granted permission for the registration of their flats this week.
According to an official statement, CEO Kumar NG handed over authorisation letters to the representatives of three builders — Samriddhi, Coco County, and Prosper — instructing them to begin the registration process for the homebuyers.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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