State budget: MADC expects Rs 600 crore for Purandar airport land acquisition

The Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC), entrusted with developing the proposed international airport at Purandar, has so far received Rs 45 crore from the state government.

The agency now expects Rs 600 crore in the upcoming state budget.

MADC director Anil Patil said, "The Rs 45 crore released by the state government is just a token amount promised. We have been assured Rs 600 crore in the upcoming budget, which will be required for land acquisition."

Of the 2,000 hectares required, 45 hectares is in the possession of various government agencies, while the rest is all privately owned.

"Once the state government sanctions the funds we can push other agencies to release their share soon and we hope to begin with land acquisition in the next six months," Patil said.

The joint venture for the airport project includes the City Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) which has a 51 per cent stake in the project; MADC shares 19 per cent while the remaining 30 per cent is shared equally between the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Pune Metro Regional Development Authroity (PMRDA).

A senior MADC official requesting anonymity said, "The cost of land is high, but in Purandar it would not be alluring for private owners to be provided alternate plots. Also, we cannot provide all of them with the highly technical jobs required at the airport. we have decided to completely compensate them with cash as per the 2014 Land Acquisition Act. This was decided in 2017."

The 2014 Land Acquisition Act states that the compensation amount should be four times the ready reckoner rate.

Tale of the tape

Proposed Purandar International Airport in Pune district for which land has been earmarked in seven villages - Pargaon, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Kumbharvalan, Udachiwadi, Vanpuri and Khanavadi.

Project was first announced in October 2016, but delayed due to land acquisition.

The project has faced agitations by farmers and environmentalists, who claim the population of the Indian grey wolf in the area will be affected by the project.