Farmers seek review of demands before final compensation package for Purandar airport

Pune: The farmers likely to be affected because of the greenfield Purandar airport project on Wednesday sought a review of their demands before the district administration finalised the compensation package, more than three months after the state govt announced that Rs1 crore per acre would be given for land to be acquired for the proposed facility.The issue gained urgency after the state govt on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to arrange around Rs6,000 crore for land acquisition. The airport project involves acquisition of land from seven villages — Vanpuri, Kumbhar Valan, Udachiwadi, Ekhatpur, Munjawadi, Khanwadi and Pargaon in Purandar taluka of Pune district.

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District administration officials are expecting the funds for land acquisition from the MIDC next month. Thereafter, the final compensation would be announced. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier assured landowners of the best possible compensation.The farmers’ representatives stressed their demands submitted to the district administration after conveying willingness to part with land must be factored into the final compensation framework. They told TOI on Wednesday that they would write to the Pune collector to iterate their demands. “It is necessary to hear us out once again or consider our demands ahead of finalising the package,” said a farmers’ representative from Pargaon.Seeking parity with other infrastructure projects, the farmers’ representatives demanded compensation at par with rates given for the ring road project, where landowners received significantly higher payouts than the rate of Rs1 crore per acre. “We demand compensation at par with this project,” said a landowner.The farmers called for transparency in the compensation package, land-for-land rehabilitation, assured jobs and long-term livelihood support. They have sought govt or semi-govt job opportunities to at least two members of each affected household, along with skill development workshops to enable employment.They urged the govt to take all decisions in consultation with the original landowners. In a proposed demand letter, they said any compensation or rehabilitation package should exclude investors who purchased land in the past three years and should be framed keeping in mind the standard of living of original cultivators, the future of the next generation and principles of social justice.One of their key demands is allotment of 35% developed plots with an FSI of 5 to farmers whose land would be within the developed airport zone. “We sought separate housing benefits for joint families living under a roof but holding different ration cards. Such families should be provided with a 5-guntha plot each for house construction. This was put across to the administration,” said another landowner.

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