Panvel villagers to fast unto death from July 1 against NAINA scheme

Villagers near Navi Mumbai Airport protest NAINA scheme, demanding changes to land development plan by CIDCO. Fast unto death planned from July 1.

Panvel: Villagers of the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) have decided to escalate their protest against the NAINA scheme. They have planned to go on a fast unto death near CIDCO’s office at Belapur railway station from July 1st onwards, to get the authorities to agree to their demands.

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The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) has been appointed as the special planning authority for developing NAINA, a planned city equipped with ultra-modern facilities on a now reduced area of 225.59 sq km consisting of 94 villages located around the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

Under the scheme, landowners will get 40% of the developed plot of their original land at a 2.5 floor space index (FSI). CIDCO will develop roads, playgrounds, schools, gardens, growth centres and other infrastructure and facilities over the remaining 60% of the land. The project is being implemented through 12 Town Planning Schemes (TPS).

Anil Dhavle, president of Gaothan Vistar Haq Samiti, a body of youth fighting for the rights of the PAPs, said, “NAINA villagers have been opposing the scheme with several agitations and protests over the past two years. It is a question of our existence, our agriculture fields and the entire region. There has been little response to our demand. We have hence now decided to intensify our agitation.”

Last December, Dhavle went on an indefinite fast and only suspended it when CIDCO assured him that they would arrange a meeting with the chief minister to resolve the issue. “However, no such meeting has happened yet,” said Dhavle.

Rajesh Keni, secretary of NAINA Prakalp Badhit Shetkari Utkarsh Samiti (NPBSUS) said that they have told the authorities repeatedly that the 60:40 scheme is not acceptable to the farmers as they are left with very little land of their own. “The 2.5 FSI will further come down to 1 FSI when you consider the entire land holding that we will give to CIDCO,” said Keni.

Keni added that there is also no monetary compensation to the farmers whose land is being taken. “Why is it not on par with the package given to NMIA PAPs? We want the government to implement Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) in the region, which will give justice to the farmers.” CIDCO did not respond to the issue.

Former MLC Balaram Patil said the construction cost is high under the present scheme as it can only be vertical with just 40% land and 2.5 FSI available. Meanwhile, UDCPR will give 60% of the land to the villagers apart from various incentives. “There is no land acquisition against a suitable compensation and the TPS have been announced. The villagers have never been taken into confidence. The government wants to take over our land under the pretext of developing infrastructure of roads and civic services, and make money. It should do so at its own cost and give the developed land to the villagers.”