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Ajit Pawar asks admin to explore another site for proposed int’l airport in Pune
During the meeting held in Mumbai on Tuesday, Pawar took a review of the progress on proposed airport at Purandar and asked officials to look for another site adjoining the current one in Purandar tehsil of Pune district
A lack of progress in land acquistion for the proposed international airport in Purandar has forced deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to ask officials to explore the option of another site, which according to him, will be easier for land acquisition.
During the meeting held in Mumbai on Tuesday, Pawar, also a guardian minister for Pune, took a review of the progress on proposed airport at Purandar and asked officials to look for another site adjoining the current one in Purandar tehsil of Pune district.
Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao said, “Pawar had called the meeting at Mumbai to discuss about the Purandar international airport. While selecting an existing site for the Purandar airport, the administration identified five more sites. Before starting the land acquisition process, the guardian minister has asked to check whether any other site is better for land acquisition. Once the land acquisition process started then there would be no chance to think over other options.”
The existing site was chosen in 2015 as the previously selected site in Khed tehsil of Pune district received opposition from locals. After shifting the site to Purandar, the then Devendra Fadnavis government expedited the process for all necessary approvals with the state government, the Centre, defence and environment ministry issued permissions.
However, the local farmers are protesting against the land acquisition for existing sites, which covers seven villages in Purandar tehsil. Around 2, 832-hectared will be acquired for the airport which will be named after Chhatrapati Sambhaji.
When asked whether Pawar’s instructions to officials means the administration is thinking to change existing sites, Rao said, “There are no chances to change the existing site but we are verifying about other options. The administration will finish this process in the next three weeks and submit the proposal in front of the guardian minister.”
As there has been no progress in the land acquisition for proposed airport, the government is being criticized as the project could not pick up pace.
Rao said, “For initial projects, there is an opposition for land acquisition but later projects move on. We are planning to give the best compensation options for farmers.”
The proposed Purandar international airport for which land has been earmarked in seven villages of Pargaon, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Kumbharvalan, Udachiwadi, Vanpuri and Khanavadi is a landmark project as it will not only increase connectivity in the area but also reduce the current load on the Pune airport which shares its runway with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and has limited flights being operated.
According to previous estimates by administration, land acquisition process would require a little over Rs 3,000 crores. In May 2018, the Maharashtra government gave a nod to release Rs 3,513 crore for the project, part of which will be used for land acquisition.
Despite the notification related to the development plan and Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) forming a special purpose vehicle, things have not moved ahead. To develop the project, MADC was appointed as the nodal agency for implementing the project, while the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (Cidco) will be a major stakeholder in the SPV. Cidco will hold 51 per cent stake in the SPV, while MADC’s stake will be 19 per cent.
The remaining 30 per cent will be divided between the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
