An international airport at Jewar is the primary topic of discussion among the residents of this sleepy village in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The decision to build the Noida International Airport here, touted as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s dream project and called “Asia’s biggest”, has drawn attention to jewellery.
But, land compensation and employment are major concerns for the voters of the area. At least six villages in the assembly constituency, which are most affected by the construction of the airport, are agitating against the government compensation that residents have received in return for their ancestral land.
In the main market, Saurabh and his friends wait for their coaching class to begin. Some are preparing for the Indian Air Force entrance exam, while others are hoping to crack the state police exam. Jobs and employment are their primary concern.
Keshav, who is preparing for NTPC exam, expects the airport to bring more employment opportunities. “Employment is a big issue for us. One lakh people apply for 100 jobs… I am hopeful that when Jewar airport is built, there will be opportunities for us.”
Rahul, who works in a private company, says that the airport will bring with it many more projects. “Property prices are already on the rise. Film City will be built here too; Medical Park, many other infrastructure projects will come up. This will give more opportunities to the local people,” he says.
However, friend Saurabh has doubts. Saurabh, who wants to become a cop, throws light on the “no local employment” rule that some companies have implemented. “There is a Vivo company in Dhankaur (a neighboring city). They don’t take local people. They will do the same in jewellery. They have given jobs to those who live 300 km away… why not us? he asks.
Dinesh Kumar, who lost his job as a school teacher during the Covid-19 lockdown, has the same concern. “Why are they denying jobs to local people? They have set a range of 200 km. People of that category will not be eligible for the job even if they have the qualification… how is it fair?” he asks.
RLD candidate Avtar Singh Bhadana is trying to capitalize on this concern about compensation for jobs and land. In the first phase of assembly elections in the state, polling will be held in Jewar on February 10.
Bhadana, a resident of Faridabad, was earlier the MLA of Meerpur in Meerut and first moved to RLD and then to Jewar. But he claims that he is not an outsider.
In Charholi village, he drives a tractor through the streets, promising Farmer And nest His “due” of jewellery. “The biggest issue is atrocities against them Farmer And mazdoor, Locals, whose homes were demolished for the airport, became homeless. They are also being denied jobs. We want to talk about jobs for local people. You have brought a big airport here, but what is the benefit of the local people?” He tells News18.
BJP MLA Dhirendra Singh opposed this. “these ghotale baaz Those under whose rule the investors fled from Noida. The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) exposed their scams,” he says, adding “jewellery”. continues while investors Of top destination hai (Jewelry is a top destination for investors right now). People want to see Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister because he has put jewelery on the world map.
But there are some areas which are a matter of concern for the BJP. At least six villages—Nangala Ganeshi, Dayanatpur, Rohi, Nangla Sharif Khan, Nangla Chittar, Jhangira Jhatri—are agitating against compensation for their land for the airport.
Ajay Pratap Singh in Dayanatpur village, which used to be his home, creates chaos with his bricks. Today, it is the site of the boundary wall of Jewar Airport. Singh claims that as a rural area, they were entitled to four times the value of their land under the law. But the administration cheated them by calling this area urban.
“We have been agitating since 2018. Our houses were demolished without any notice. Basic facilities like roads, water, electricity are missing at the rehabilitation site. We are rural, but our compensation is fixed according to urban standards… it is illegal,” he says.
Rakesh Kumar, who moved the court against the government compensation, says that the farmers had to sell their cattle as the land and houses were too small to replace their ancestral houses. ,Yahaan kisan 1,200 gaj mein reh raha tha… ab 50 to 60 meter ka ghar diya hai… usmein tractor, buggi, gai, bhains kaise aayega (Earlier farmers were living within 1,200 yards, but now houses range from 50 to 60 meters. How will our items like tractors and cattle fit inside this space)?” he says.
Many like Rukmuddin have been living in tents for the past one year while waiting for their dues. Dhirendra Singh had promised that the issues would be resolved soon, but BJP supporters are also now questioning the role of the local leadership.
Satish Sharma, a farmer says, “Hamare pratyashi sirf apne gaon ke vikas kiye hain… air port Thakur bahulya (Thakur majority) kshetra mein le gaye hain, vidhayak se naraaz hain sab yahan per Yogi baba bahut ache hain,” he says.
Adityanath’s personal charisma along with Bhadana’s “outsider tag” is that the BJP is hoping that the vote in the jeweler will go in his favor.
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