Allahabad High Court Orders Removal of Fencing on Farmers’ Land in Noida Film City Project

The Allahabad High Court has ordered the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) to remove any fencing it has placed on farmers’ land in connection with the International Film City project in Noida until the land is either acquired or purchased from the landowners

This directive came as a response to a petition filed by Dharmendra Kumar and eight other farmers. A bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Manish Nigam, in an order issued on September 5, ruled that if YEIDA had erected a fence on the petitioners’ land, it must be taken down.

The farmers argued that their land had neither been acquired nor sold to YEIDA, yet the authorities had fenced off their property for the film city project.

According to the petition, in June 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government, through YEIDA, initiated the International Film City project in Sector 21, covering 1,000 acres. On August 25, YEIDA issued a public notice inviting landowners in the village to sell their land. The petitioners, however, filed objections and refused to sell their land.

Despite their objections, the petitioners claimed that YEIDA put up signboards and began fencing their land, restricting their access. They requested the court to direct YEIDA to remove the fencing and prevent further interference with their possession and cultivation of the land until it is legally acquired for the project.

(With inputs from agency)