NOIDA: Ninety residents from Nagla Hukum Singh and Karauli Bangar villages in Jewar have been charged with FIRs for unauthorized construction on land designated for the Noida International Airport expansion project. This action follows repeated violations reported by patrol teams and satellite imagery over the past year, despite multiple warnings from the district administration.
The land, covering 1,181 hectares, was officially acquired under Section 11(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, via a government order issued on November 18, 2022. According to Section 11(4), any sale, alteration, construction, or encroachment on the notified land without explicit approval from the district collector is prohibited until acquisition is completed.
Officials noted that residents were repeatedly informed of these regulations, yet construction activities persisted.
The FIR indicates that many villagers acted “with malice,” attempting to exploit the compensation process. Some had already received payments, yet continued to add rooms or construct new structures, aiming to claim additional compensation. A senior district officer stated, “In some instances, extra rooms were built after the notification to later demand increased payouts.” Others constructed houses outside village boundaries to seek more compensation, even though the land is now legally owned by the government.
Compensation for Phase 2 of Karauli Bangar village has been released for 94% of the plots at a rate of ₹3,100 per square meter, with 6% still unclaimed.
To monitor violations, officials have established a vigilance system, including patrols and the use of satellite imagery to track constructions post-notification.
SDM Jewar Abhay Singh confirmed that the FIR pertains to new constructions, not historical encroachments. The FIR has been filed under BNS sections 223 (obedience to lawful orders from a public servant) and 329(3) (criminal trespass), as well as sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Notices detailing plots, khata numbers, and photographs were issued multiple times in 2023, urging voluntary removal. Officials emphasized that the FIR serves both punitive and preventive purposes, permitting the demolition of illegal structures and deterring further violations. Investigations are ongoing, and more names may be added.
