Maharashtra Government Reduces Land Requirement for Purandar Airport Near Pune to Half of Original Requirement
Land acquisition requirement for Purandar Airport reduced by half | Representative Image
Government of Maharashtra has decided to reduce the size of land required for the proposed Purandar Airport project near Pune. Instead of the earlier plan to acquire 7,000 acres, the state will now acquire only 3,000 acres. This change is expected to save the land of many farmers who had been opposing the project.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi informed that land acquisition will now proceed with the consent of farmers. From Monday, farmers who are willing to give their land can start submitting consent forms at the Collector’s office in Pune and the Saswad sub-divisional office. The process will continue for 21 days, till mid-September.
Farmers who provide consent will receive extra compensation compared to those who do not. The government has announced that the compensation will be four times the market value of the land. In addition, ten percent of the acquired land will be returned as developed plots, which could be worth ₹1–2 crore in the Aerocity area.
Families losing their homes will be given a 250-square-meter residential plot in Aerocity at the compensation rate. In cases where multiple families live in the same house, separate plots will be allotted after verifying documents. Farmers losing all their land will be given 25 months’ minimum agricultural wages, while small landholders will get 18 months’ wages. Project-affected families will also be given priority in jobs related to the airport project.
This decision, taken by the state government on August 20, is being seen as a middle path to balance the need for development with the concerns of farmers.
