India, March 26 -- Caving to farmers' protests, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) will now buy agricultural land for industrial and urbanisation projects at Rs.4,300/sqm instead of Rs.3,400/sqm, officials said on Tuesday. Yeida is likely to approve a proposal to hike the rate in its March 28 board meeting.

In December 2024 the state government hiked the rate from Rs.3,400/sqm to Rs.4,300/sqm for land acquired for Noida Airport project's phases 3 and 4. Agricultural land not in this category remained at Rs.3,400/sqm, so these farmers started protests demanding the same rate. The Rs.3,400/sqm rate was itself a hike from Rs.2,650/sqm, implemented in October 2022 following protests from farmers' groups.

"We have...