Pune airport site not yet finalised, says Pawar

Locals from Purandar and Baramati tehsils meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar over proposed Pune airport land issue

Pune: The locals from Purandar and Baramati tehsils met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday at his residence in Baramati to highlight their opposition to the proposed international airport project at Purandar.

Representatives of anti-airport protest committee with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar (centre) at his residence in Baramati over the proposed Pune airport land issue, on Sunday. (HT)

The representatives of the anti-airport protest committee from the reported affected villages met Pawar and said that they do not want the airport project at the cost of their agricultural lands.

According to the committee members, Pawar assured them that the project has not yet received a green signal from the central government and without the latter’s clearance no site can be said to be final.

“He said that no injustice will be done to land owners and claimed that the said current site of the project is not final. We haven’t received any notice from the government, but according to media reports our villages will be affected if the plan is cleared. So, we are meeting political leaders and highlighting our opposition to the project. Our fields are fertile agricultural lands and we will lose everything if those are taken away from us,” said Ganesh Mulik, president, anti-airport protest committee.

Last month, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the state government has sent a proposal to the Centre for clearance for the airport at Purandar.

The anti-airport committee has members from villages Rajouri, Rise, Pise, Naigaon, Pandeshwar in Purandar tehsil and from the villages Bhondawewadi, Chandgudewadi and Ambi in Baramati tehsil. Since the reported developments of change of site for the international airport project, land owners of villages have taken steps to oppose it. Many village-level meetings are being conducted by the locals to oppose the project, besides writing to local representatives in assembly and the parliament.

Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar had said that the state has forwarded the project to the Centre last month and awaiting the latter’s reply.

“Pawar sir told us that three more sites are in consideration and the Centre will decide on the basis of technical feasibility of the sites,” said Mulik.