Land acquisition for Pune’s proposed Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje International Airport will become compulsory for 40 hectares in Purandar after landowners in Pargaon declined to give consent, Pune Collector Jitendra Dudi said. The affected landowners will not receive the 10% developed-plot benefit available under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation land-acquisition framework, according to the report by Sakal – Pune.
The district administration is expected to take possession of the remaining land within the next few days. The decision follows continued opposition from farmers in Pargaon, one of seven villages involved in the acquisition process for the airport project.
The airport is planned across 1,216 hectares, or about 3,000 acres, in Kumbharvalan, Vanpuri, Ektapur, Pargaon, Munjwadi, Khanwadi and Udachiwadi. The Maharashtra government has announced compensation of Rs 1.61 crore per acre for the acquired land. Separate compensation is also being provided for trees, wells and structures located on the properties, the report said.
The district administration has so far secured consent from 97% of landowners, while 76% of the land has been taken into possession after compensation was distributed. Around Rs 4,000 crore has been deposited into farmers’ bank accounts towards land-acquisition compensation.
The report also states that 96% of landowners across the seven villages have agreed to the acquisition, allowing the physical acquisition process to move ahead. The difference between the overall consent figure and the village-level figure was not explained in the supplied report.
The remaining 40 hectares are located in Pargaon, where farmers have continued to oppose the acquisition despite an appeal from the district administration to accept compensation. The administration had urged them to provide consent so they could receive the full compensation package, but the landowners did not agree.
The development changes the terms under which the remaining land will be acquired. While consenting landowners are eligible for the compensation announced by the state government and separate payments for assets on their land, the developed-plot concession will not be extended to the landowners whose properties are acquired compulsorily, according to the collector’s statement as reported by Sakal – Pune.
The farmers’ challenge to the airport project has also faced a legal setback. The High Court dismissed their petition opposing the project, after which the district administration proceeded with the decision to acquire the remaining land compulsorily. The next step identified by the administration is to take possession of the 40 hectares in the coming days.
