Aerotropolis project in doldrums: GMADA chief seeks action against revenue officers

GMADA chief said action must be taken against revenue officials of Mohali and Zirakpur for carrying out land registries after preliminary notification for acquisition for the Aerotropolis project, an extension of Aerocity, was issued

Upset over land registries being carried out after a preliminary notification for acquisition for the Aerotropolis project, an extension of Aerocity, was issued, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA)’s chief administrator Vipul Ujwal has written to financial commissioner revenue, Punjab, to take action against the sub-registrar of Mohali and joint registrar of Zirakpur.

Hindustan Times highlighted that GMADA had halted the process of issuing letters of intent (LoIs) to around 500 landowners due to the registries done by the revenue. GMADA is acquiring land for the Aerotropolis project, an extension of Aerocity. (HT File)

It comes a day after Hindustan Times highlighted that GMADA had halted the process of issuing letters of intent (LoIs) to around 500 landowners due to the registries done by the revenue department. The project has now been delayed by at least six months.

In the letter, the GMADA chief said a notification under Section 11 of the land acquisition act,

calling objections from landowners, was issued in February and October 2019 for different blocks of Aerotropolis and the revenue department was informed about the same. But despite this, the registrar of Mohali and sub-registrar of Zirakpur continued with land registration till August 2020, violating the act, wrote Ujwal, adding that strict action must be taken against the officials concerned.

However, now, it has been stated that around 500 landowners will not be issued LoIs as they got their land registered after the preliminary notification for land acquisition had been issued. So far, GMADA has issued LoIs for only 600 acres of the acquired land. The process is still pending for the remaining 1,000 acres.

Gurminder Singh Bakarpur, one of the landowners, said, “What is our fault? They should take action against the revenue officers and allow us the letters of intent. We will move the Punjab and Haryana high court in this regard.”

GMADA had started the process of land acquisition for Aerotropolis, its seventh independent township, in May 2017. In all, 1,600 acres of land were to be acquired on both sides of the Zirakpur-Banur road.