Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raises land compensation for Mumbai-Nagpur e-way

Following the Sena’s threat to stage an agitation against the land acquisition process for Mumbai-Nagpur super-communication expressway, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ pet project, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government has revised the compensation package for the people who will be affected by the project.

Following the Sena’s threat to stage an agitation against the land acquisition process for Mumbai-Nagpur super-communication expressway, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ pet project, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government has revised the compensation package for the people who will be affected by the project.

The decision for the hike was taken in a cabinet sub-committee headed by the chief minister,recently. (HT File Photo)

The government, in its order issued on Wednesday, has decided to raise the compensation amount by Rs25,000 per hectare, every year, for irrigated land. This will be raised for the next 10 years. For horticulture land, the compensation has been increased by Rs 50,000 per hectare, every year.

Earlier, the government had announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh per hectare to farmers for irrigated land and horticulture land, respectively, for every year. The farmers will get this amount for the next 10 years as an annual grant against their income loss. The amount will be increased by 10% every year.

The decision for the hike was taken in a cabinet sub-committee headed by the chief minister,recently.

In the fresh order, the state government has also added a new category —seasonal horticulture land — to accommodate maximum farmers in the compensation package. Under this category, the farmers will be given Rs 1,12,500 per hectare, every year for the next 10 years.

This will be in addition to the developed land the government will give back to the farmers once the project is completed. For irrigated land owners, 25% developed land of the total land acquired will be given back, for horticulture land 30%, while for seasonal horticulture land 25%, said the government resolution issued by the state public works department.

The move is being seen as a neutraliser to the Sena’s attempt to cause a stir against land acquisition for the most ambitious project of the BJP government.

A delegation of farmers from Shahapur met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on December 25 and he had assured them that their fertile land will not be taken up by the project. Thackeray had also said that the alignment of the expressway should be altered to go through non-cultivable land.

The clashes of the partners has already been intensified ahead of the municipal corporation and zilla parishad polls to be held early this year.

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