Greater Noida, Oct 21 (IANS): Many Greater Noida farmers Friday welcomed the Allahabad High Court ruling that cancelled land acquisition in three villages and hiked compensation in 61 villages by 64 percent.

"The high court has delivered justice to innocent farmers. The farmers were fighting for their rights for 15 years. But the Greater Noida authority ignored their grievances and connived with builders," farmer leader Satya Pal Chaudhary told IANS.

He said the farmers were deprived of their property rights. "The Greater Noida authority acquired farmers' land forcibly by waiving off their right to object by imposing Section 17 of the land acquisition act, normally used in emergency."

The Allahabad High Court Friday cancelled land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida villages of Chakshahberi, Abdullapur and Devla. Farmers of 61 other villages will get a hike of 64 percent in compensation, the court ruled.

Farmer leader Ranvir Nagar said there were petitions from 491 villages. "Relief has been awarded to the farmers of three villages but the remaining villages will have to get justice," he said.

"Patwari villagers have been deprived of justice. The calculation of increased compensation, at 64 percent, comes to Rs.550 per sq m to which the farmers had objected. Hence some farmers will have to go to Supreme Court for relief."

Jogender Awana, another farmer leader, said it was a landmark judgment and a victory for innocent farmers whose livelihoods were snatched by government agencies in Noida and Greater Noida.

Commenting on the judgment, farmer leader Dushyant Nagar said truth had prevailed and added that the state had snatched farmers land by hatching a conspiracy with builders.

Greater Noida chairman Balwinder Kumar said he would accept the judgment but it would not adversely affect developmental activities. "The developmental activities in only one or two villages would be adversely affected," he said.