Purandar airport land acquisition: 910 hectares taken, Rs 3,875 crore paid, October 20 deadline
High Court rejects farmers' plea against the Purandar airport site as authorities push to finish land acquisition by October 20.
Farmers opposing the Purandar airport project have suffered a setback in the High Court, which dismissed their petition on September 22. The farmers were against the land acquisition and had demanded that the airport site be changed.
Ninety-six percent of farmers in the villages of Vanpuri, Kumbharvalan, Udachiwadi, Ekhatpur, Munjawadi, Khanwadi and Pargaon have given their consent for the land acquisition. So far, 910 hectares of land have been acquired and farmers involved have been paid compensation of about Rs 3,875 crore. To allow farmers to benefit from the rehabilitation policy, the deadline for giving consent has been extended from September 25 to October 10.
The administration plans to complete the entire land acquisition process by October 20. It has made clear that any remaining land not acquired by October 10 will be acquired forcibly, and such cases will not be eligible for benefits under the rehabilitation policy.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi appealed to farmers, saying, "The government has kept farmers' interests in mind and given a large package. It is in farmers' own interest to give consent within the extended deadline. If the acquisition happens by consent, farmers will get a 10 percent return along with further benefits under the rehabilitation policy. Farmers should resolve their individual issues collectively and accept the compensation, so that the amount does not get held up in court proceedings."
The High Court dismissed on September 22 the petition of farmers opposing the land acquisition for the Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Greenfield International Airport at Purandar and demanding a change of site. The court said that deciding the airport's location is a matter for technical experts and is part of the government's policy decision.
The court also made clear that it is not an expert authority meant to intervene in the state's policy decisions. It therefore held that the choice of site fixed for the airport cannot be challenged through the court.
The court further said that the petitioners have the right to approach the relevant authorities regarding land acquisition or compensation. If the compensation being given under the law does not seem adequate, there is also a route to challenge it under the relevant provisions.
The court also made an important observation on the petitioners' locus standi, or legal standing to seek relief. It clarified that the petitioners do not have the legal standing required to challenge the state government's policy decision.
Following the High Court's decision, the land acquisition process for the Purandar airport is expected to gain further pace.
