Purandar International Airport project, envisioned as a pivotal infrastructure development for the Pune region, is now confronting a formidable challenge as villagers from Ekhatpur and Munjawadi, two of the seven directly impacted settlements, have collectively articulated a stringent set of conditions for land acquisition.
Their unified stance, demanding ₹10 crore per acre, developed plots with 5 FSI, and guaranteed employment, underscores a burgeoning awareness of land rights and a demand for genuinely equitable development that prioritises community well-being over unbridled progress. The villagers’ comprehensive charter of demands, meticulously presented during a recent Gram Sabha, transcends mere monetary compensation. It encompasses a holistic vision for their future, seeking not just a lump sum of ₹10 crore per acre, but also a 35% developed plot within the airport zone with an FSI of 5. Furthermore, they are pushing for three times larger residential plots for landless and homeless families, compensation at 2.5 times the current market value for existing residential and commercial properties, and guaranteed jobs—both skilled and unskilled—in upcoming government, semi-government, and private projects for landowners and their heirs. This proactive approach highlights a shift from passive displacement to an assertive pursuit of future security and economic sustainability.
Beyond direct financial and land-based compensation, the community is also advocating for critical social provisions. These include reservations in education and government jobs, acknowledging their status as project-affected individuals, and a lump sum valuation of their land that deliberately bypasses agricultural or horticultural categorisation, ensuring fairer assessment. Significantly, they have also called for the exclusion of MIDC from the land acquisition process, suggesting the handover to another government agency, and demanding a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) based compensation model for affected farmers. For orchard land, a nuanced compensation structure factoring in tree age, yield, and market value has also been proposed, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of their long-term economic dependencies.
The sheer volume of objections filed—1,790 to date, with another village seeking additional time to formally register dissent—signals the depth of community resolve. This collective resistance is not an outright rejection of development, but rather a powerful articulation that progress must be anchored in principles of justice, ecological sustainability, and the protection of livelihoods. In a rapidly urbanising nation, where large-scale infrastructure projects are frequently met with land acquisition challenges, the Purandar situation serves as a compelling case study of evolving community empowerment and the increasing demand for transparent and fair negotiation processes.
The state government now faces a crucial juncture. While the imperative to develop the Purandar International Airport for regional economic growth remains, the cohesive demands from Ekhatpur and Munjawadi necessitate a strategic and empathetic response. The future trajectory of this ambitious airport project, and indeed, the broader model of land acquisition for public infrastructure in India, will heavily depend on the willingness of authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue, ensuring that development truly serves the interests of all stakeholders, particularly those whose lives and livelihoods are directly impacted. This delicate balancing act between progress and social equity will ultimately define the character of future urbanisation.
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