Nearly two months after the Punjab government withdrew its land pooling policy, the state has notified a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for the acquisition of 3,553 acres in Blocks E to J of the Aerotropolis project, an extension of Aerocity in Mohali. The project had been put on hold due to the land polling policy, introduced in May this year and withdrawn just three months later.
An SIA is a structured process that evaluates the social, cultural, and economic consequences of a project on local communities.
Land will now be acquired under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. This is a central Act which regulates land acquisition and lays down the procedure and rules for granting compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement to affected persons in India.
The Aerotropolis township, located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Zirakpur-Banur road, will include 8,600 residential plots, ranging from 100 to 2,000 square yards, along with commercial and institutional zones.
Vikas Garg, principal secretary, department of housing and urban development, Punjab, has issued a notification for land acquisition in all six blocks.
Last week, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had floated tenders worth ₹509 crore for the development of 1,600 acres in Blocks B, C, and D of Aerotropolis. Block A is caught in litigation due to the guava orchard scam. The scam had surfaced in May 2023 when it came to light that nearly 100 individuals, including over a dozen officials, defrauded the housing department of ₹140 crore by showing the land as guava orchards so as to get higher compensation. In reality, over 90% of the land was actually under wheat and paddy cultivation. The land for these blocks was acquired nearly eight years ago, and Letters of Intent (LoIs) have already been issued to landowners.
{{/usCountry}}Last week, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had floated tenders worth ₹509 crore for the development of 1,600 acres in Blocks B, C, and D of Aerotropolis. Block A is caught in litigation due to the guava orchard scam. The scam had surfaced in May 2023 when it came to light that nearly 100 individuals, including over a dozen officials, defrauded the housing department of ₹140 crore by showing the land as guava orchards so as to get higher compensation. In reality, over 90% of the land was actually under wheat and paddy cultivation. The land for these blocks was acquired nearly eight years ago, and Letters of Intent (LoIs) have already been issued to landowners.
{{/usCountry}}A senior officer associated with the project said: “We have received the notification for conducting SIA in Blocks E to J, covering around 3,500 acres. Once the report is submitted, we will move ahead with the acquisition process. The entire land acquisition is expected to be completed by the year-end.”
He added that in case any one wants land pooling, they will be given benefits of the 2021 policy. Under this, for every one acre of land acquired, landowners will receive 1,000 square yards of developed residential plots and 200 square yards of commercial plots (excluding parking) instead of cash compensation. Land pooling is not mandatory, he said,
The Aerotropolis township had received the green signal from chief minister Bhagwant Mann in June 2022. In June 2024, the CM directed GMADA to expedite the work. The land earmarked for the township spans several villages, including Bakarpur, Rurka, Safipur, Matran, Siaun, Manauli, Patton, Saini Majra, Chau Majra, Naraingarh, and Chhat.
In June this year, GMADA’s executive committee had planned to acquire 2,600 acres across multiple sectors: 236 acres in Sector 87 for commercial use, 313 acres in Sector 84 for institutional projects, 321 acres in Sectors 101 and 103 for industrial hubs, and 1,800 acres in Sectors 120 to 125 along PR-7 Road for residential development, but due to the withdrawal of new land policy, the acquisition process was put on hold.