Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi announced on Tuesday that the land acquisition process for the proposed Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje International Airport in Purandar will commence on Thursday. The state government has finalized a base compensation rate of Rs 1.61 crore per acre, benefiting nearly 6,500 landowners who possess approximately 1,217 hectares of land. A nine-member team of officials has been assigned to each of the seven villages identified for land acquisition.
Compensation and Benefits
Residents willing to part with their land have been instructed to submit necessary documents. The document collection process will continue until June 10. In addition to monetary compensation, landowners will receive 10% of the developed land in the vicinity and employment opportunities, Dudi stated.
While the compensation formula, cleared by a high-powered committee chaired by the additional chief secretary (industries) on April 24, sets the compensation at Rs 1.61 crore per acre, the effective compensation could average around Rs 2 crore once houses, trees, and other assets on the land are valued. Landowners will receive double the assessed value of attached assets such as houses, sheds, wells, borewells, pipelines, and trees, based on joint measurement and valuation by respective departments. Valuation of houses ranges from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.
Funding and Timeline
The state government, through MIDC, will raise a Rs 6,000 crore loan from HUDCO. In the first phase, the district administration aims to acquire at least 50% of the required land so that work can begin by October or November, with a project completion deadline of three years.
Under MIDC's Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of 2019, landowners opting for consent agreements are eligible for 10% of the developed land in return, minus 10% of the total compensation. MIDC has already paid consenting landowners Rs 500 crore to start the acquisition process. The compensation will be exempt from income tax and other government levies, Dudi confirmed.
Conditions and Deadlines
The state will take possession of the land free of encumbrances. Landowners must submit consent agreements, affidavits, ID proof, PAN, bank details, and no-dues certificates within the stipulated period. Claims, objections, or third-party interests must be reported within seven days, officials added.
After June 10, those who do not consent may be subject to compulsory acquisition under relevant provisions and will forfeit certain benefits, including the 10% developed parcel of land, officials warned.
