Allahabad HC directs YEIDA to remove fence around land of petitioner farmers

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has, in a matter related to land acquisition for an international film city in Noida, directed the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) to remove any fence it has put up around the land of farmers until the land is either acquired or purchased from them.

Disposing of a petition filed by Dharmendra Kumar and eight other farmers, a bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Manish Nigam in the order passed on September 5 directed that in case any fence has been put by the YEIDA over the land of the petitioners, it would be removed.

The petitioners alleged that neither has their land been acquired nor have they executed any sale deed in favour of YEIDA, but authorities have put a fence around their land for the international film city project.

In the writ petition, it was alleged that in June 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government through YEIDA launched the International Film City project in Sector 21. Through this scheme, the YEIDA has prepared a plan that International Film City will be constructed on 1000 acres.

For this, YEIDA issued a public notice on August 25 inviting landowners of the village to sell their land in Sector 21. Thereafter, the petitioners filed their objections before the YEIDA against the public notice dated August 25 declining to execute any sale deed regarding their land.

"However, to the utter surprise of the petitioners, the YEIDA put a signboard in the petitioners' village and started fencing the area, making it out of bounds for them," the petitioners alleged.

The petitioners had requested the court to direct the YEIDA to remove fencing put by them over the land of the petitioners situated at village- Rabupura, tehsil - Jewar, Gautam Budh Nagar district.

They also urged it to restrain YEIDA from interfering in the peaceful possession and cultivation of the land until it is acquired for the international film city in accordance with the statutory provisions.