The proposed development enclave in central Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA), has hit a roadblock with the farmers unrelenting on the price to part with their agricultural land.
While the circle rate is quoted at about Rs 32 lakh per acre, the farmers are reportedly demanding Rs 50 lakh per acre.
As a result, the land acquisition process has not made any headway so far and a number of meetings between the farmers and a committee appointed by the Lucknow District Magistrate (DM) for the purpose have remained unproductive.
“However, negotiations with the farmers and land owners are on,” LIDA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) S K Verma told Business Standard. Proposed as a township on the lines of Noida, LIDA, along the Lucknow-Kanpur highway, is aimed at industrial and commercial improvement in the region.
LIDA will acquire 1,800 acres in the first phase. The authority has already notified revenue villages and issued legal notification for the acquisition. The remote sensing survey of the proposed corridor is over.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) also plans to bring almost 235 more villages under its fold, which if executed, will overlap some area notified under LIDA.
The issue is being sorted out and another meeting in this regard is scheduled for Friday evening, to be attended by senior LIDA and LDA officials and the urban development department. A total of 83 villages between Lucknow and Unnao will be acquired for LIDA. Until the land rates are fixed, the actual possession of the land cannot materialise.
Later the rehabilitation and welfare schemes for the farmers and displaced families would be undertaken.
The Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (Hudco) is providing a loan of about Rs 70 crore to LIDA for land acquisition.
LIDA was mooted three years back as another industrial development hub in UP after Noida. The idea was to present another option for the industry to set up units and ancillaries.
The corridor is expected to re-energise the existing chikan, leather and garment sectors in central UP region.
The UP government had constituted LIDA vide notification dated July 28, 2005, comprising 49 and 34 villages of Lucknow and Unnao districts respectively. The authority was constituted under the UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976.
