While CSIA gets boost, more woes for Navi Mumbai airport

Even as the inauguration of T2 pushed the Mumbai airport to greater heights, the upcoming one at Navi Mumbai, faced yet another hurdle, with villagers whose land is meant to be acquired for the project demanding that they be allowed to lease it out.

Even as the inauguration of T2 pushed the Mumbai airport to greater heights, the upcoming one at Navi Mumbai, faced yet another hurdle, with villagers whose land is meant to be acquired for the project demanding that they be allowed to lease it out.

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The villagers said the state government should take their land on lease if it does not have enough funds to fulfill their demand of 35% of developed land and Rs6.25 crore per acre as compensation.

Mahendra Patil, leader of villagers’ group, said “If the government cannot give 35% of land with a cash component, we will rent our land to them at Rsone lac an acre a month. The rent should be revised every three years with a 30% hike.”

Farmers from the six villages, Pargaon, kolhi, Dhungi, Vageshwari pada, Ohala and Varcha Ohala, had refused accept the state’s offer of 22.5% of the land.

Meanwhile, Cidco reiterated that their offer would not change. The planning authority’s managing director, Sanjay Bhatiya, said “There will not be any negotiations over the compensation package. We have given the best one, so all villagers will accept it eventually.”

On November 11 last year, a committee representing 18 villages had agreed to accept 22.5% of developed land as compensation. A few days later, the six villages declined the offer, saying its farmers were not consulted.