Farmers near Khed, in the Pune area of India, to demonstrate about airport purchase of their land

Date added: 13 November, 2013

There are a large number of greenfield sites in India where airports are planned, with the country rushing to build ever more airports, partly in increase domestic aviation. There is much opposition locally, by land owners whose land is appropriated and who are moved off their land. Many are not given fair compensation. There is a possible “international” airport planned for Pune, some 80 miles south east of Mumbai. There are plans to put it partly on a Special Economic Zone, at a place called Khed. This would require also compulsorily purchasing 500 hectares of undulating agricultural land (some irrigated) that is privately owned, to make an airport with 2 runways, each of 4,000 metres, on a site of total area 1,268 hectares. Many families would be displaced. One report says: “The farmer leader claimed that the assured financial package to farmers has not been given despite the fact that the firm was formed six years ago.” There are some 950 farmers involved, and there will be a demonstration against the land purchases on 18th November. The airport’s construction is proposed to begin in 2015.
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Khed farmers oppose SEZ land for airport

Nov 12, 2013,

Pune (DNA) Google map showing location

Plan to stage token demo on Nov 18

Anti-Khed SEZ Airport and Anti-Khed Developers Limited Save Farmers Action Committee has announced a one-day token demonstration at Rajgurunagar on November 18. The panel is protesting against giving the special economic zone (SEZ) land for airport project

The committee president Sunil Limgude and advisor Balasaheb Mashere told the media that around 950 farmers from Nimgaon, Davadi, Kanersar, Gosasi and Kendur villages of Khed and Shirur talukas have given their land for SEZ.

Limgude said that out of the 1,207 hectares acquired for SEZ, it was decided to return 15 per cent land to farmers. He said that Khed Developers Limited Company was formed with 75% shares in farmers’ name and 25% was allocated to Bharat Forge, the firm that is promoted the zone. The farmer leader claimed that the assured financial package to farmers has not been given despite the fact that the firm was formed six years ago.

The two farmer leaders fear that giving away SEZ land for airport project will further delay the development of the area.

http://www.dnaindia.com/pune/report-khed-farmers-oppose-sez-land-for-airport-1917577

dna is an English broadsheet daily owned by Diligent Media Corporation

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Govt keen on Khed SEZ as site for airport

by Nisha Nambiar : Pune, Sat Nov 09 2013,

The proposed international airport for Pune may finally see the light of day with officials of the state government set to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 13 to discuss and finalise the project. After assessing six locations, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has now zeroed in on Khed Special Economic Zone (SEZ), finding it suitable for the airport. [It is some 20 miles north east of Pune (pronounced Poona) and some 15 miles north east of the existing airport, which has one runway. Map ].

Khed SEZ is a joint venture (74:26) of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Bharat Forge. “We will require 1,268 hectares and the parallel runaways will measure 4,000 metres each. The total area should be 6.2 km in length and around 3 km in breadth. We will acquire 750 hectares from SEZ and the remaining 500 hectares should be acquired from the surrounding area,” said an MADC official. The Khed SEZ is spread over 4,500 hectares.

The JV has acquired 1,000 hectares and notified 700 hectares under Phase 1 of the SEZ. It has so far paid out Rs 289 crore to land owners at the rate of Rs 17 lakh per hectare. “With part of the land already acquired, it would be easy for the government to decide on SEZ land. The meet will help finalise the location,” added the official.

Baba Kalyani, chairman and managing director of Bharat Forge, said he would be back from the US in three weeks and only then would be in a position to comment on the matter. “Till date, no one has spoken to me about the site being viable for the airport,” he said.

Earlier, Pune Divisional Commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh had showed the MADC some land towards the eastern side, but that site was not given a go-ahead. Officials from the state government said the international airport projects for Navi Mumbai and Pune were among the various pending projects that would be discussed at the meeting. “The PM will give us a hearing and the chief minister is keen to take forward the proposal. A decision will be taken after the meeting on November 13,” said an official.

In September too, a high-level meeting to address the airport issue was convened where it was discussed to speed up the land acquisition process for Pune, Navi Mumbai and Juhu airports.

Officials visit proposed site

On Friday, MADC Managing Director T Satre, along with Pune Divisional Commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh and District Collector Vikas Deshmukh, visited the proposed site and had a three-hour meeting to discuss the project. “Hopefully, the November 13 meeting will clear the project,” said Prabhakar Deshmukh. He said while a major portion of the required land would come from the SEZ, the remaining would have to acquired from private individuals in the same area. “This was a fruitful visit and will take the project forward,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-keen-on-khed-sez-as-site-for-airport/1192791/0

Earlier:

MADC eyes land south of Khed SEZ for airport

Nisha Nambiar : Pune,

Aug 10 2013,

Google map showing location

Earlier, the MADC and Airport Authority of India had zeroed in on the Chakan-Rajgurunagar belt for the project

The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) seems to have zeroed in on the undulating land south of Khed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for the proposed international airport in Pune. MADC officials have been exploring the industrial belt for long but now are focussing on this area. For the airport, the MADC needs 1,200 hectares of land.

“The land south of SEZ is plain and belongs to private owners. We are exploring this option as the earlier move to building the airport on the SEZ land has fallen through. The land is undulating,” said a senior MADC official who carried out a site study of the area. A meeting with the chief minister to take a final decision is slated for August 17.

Earlier, the MADC along with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had zeroed in on the Chakan-Rajgurunagar belt. But later it was called off after a report stated that it would displace large number of families.

Government officials said there has been a huge delay in finalising the site for the airport. The move to set up the airport was called off due to impediments like local opposition to displacement of 1,008 families and the need to divert the Bhama river and the NH 50.

After the meeting with CM, the AAI would examine the site and clear the proposal. The government would allocate Rs 1,000 crore [ ie. 1000 x 10 million = 10 trillion rupees. About £9.9 million ] to acquire the land.

According to the proposal, MADC plans to spread the airport over the 1,200 hectares of land with two 6-km-long and 2.5-km-wide runways. The construction is proposed to begin in 2015.

Earlier after a Central team had given the in-principle nod for the land in Chakan belt after they conducted an aerial survey in December and followed by a detailed survey by AAI. Talks were on to acquire land once the techno-feasibility study was ready. But the whole process was delayed as authorities were forced to look for another site.

Government officials who were part of the survey said they would prefer least displacement and were not keen on acquiring irrigated land for the project.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/madc-eyes-land-south-of-khed-sez-for-airport/1153548/0

Another related airport land story is:

Airport deal brings Rs 10,000cr land in market (relating to an airport development at Navi Mumbai)

13.11.2013 (Times of India)

[A “crore” meand 10 million rupees, and a lakh means 100,000 rupees].

MUMBAI: The “best” compensation deal ever in the country that was struck by the state government with project-affected persons (PAPs) on Monday to clear the way for the proposed Navi Mumbai airport also brings land worth over Rs 10,000 crore into the real estate market for development.

Besides the land already acquired, the 671 hectares more required for the airport is owned by PAPs and is mainly coastal land used for agricultural purposes, which till recently was valued at Rs 200 per square metre. The land that the PAPs would now get as compensation along the Mumbai-Pune bypass near Panvel will fetch on average Rs 1 lakh per square metre. The land will form an urban hub of Navi Mumbai named Pushpak Nagar.

…….. and there is a lot more ……….. at

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Airport-deal-brings-Rs-10000cr-land-in-market/articleshow/25666128.cms

Mumbai is about 80 miles from the proposed airport at Pune.

and

First phase of Navi Mumbai airport may be ready by 2017

Chittaranjan Tembhekar,

Nov 12, 2013, (Times of India)

MUMBAI: While denying the Navi Mumbai airport project-affected persons (PAPs) any major monetary compensation, the government offered 22.5% developed land against the usual practice of offering 12.5% as well as cash. The only monetary benefits include 100 shares of Rs 10 to each PAP family, and Rs 1,000 per square foot for reconstruction of houses.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said once the airport construction starts, appreciation in the land value will be among of the highest in the country.

Government sources said each PAP with one acre of land will get a developed plot worth at least around Rs 3.5 crore when the airport is ready.

Cidco chairman Pramod Hindurao added the deal would fetch PAPs around Rs 25 crore for each hectare once the airport work starts and reiterated that it is “one of the biggest such deals in the country”.

With this development, Mumbaikars can expect construction to start in a year and the first phase of the airport, with a runway and a terminal, to be ready by 2017.

The deal assumes significance as the prime minister is to hold a meeting on Wednesday to review the project status before giving it the final go-ahead. “We are going to inform the prime minister that we had finalized the compensation to take the project forward,” said Chavan. “Now a global tender will be floated soon to appoint a developer by the end of next year.”

In the meantime, other works-awarding of compensation, relief and rehabilitation of PAPs, diversion of rivers, shifting of mangroves, shifting of electricity transmission towers, flattening of hillocks and creation of mangrove lagoon-will be taken up. These works should start in six months. The first phase of airport construction with one runway and a terminal is expected to be over by 2017,” said Cidco managing director Sanjay Bhatia.

Peasants and Workers Party legislator and PAP leader Vivek Patil said the PAPs had agreed to 22.5% land compensation in two components with separate FSIs. Congress MLA and PAP leader Prashant Thakur, though, said the rate of Rs 1,000 per square foot for reconstruction is still being negotiated and is hopeful it will be increased.

“If the FSI is considered, the land compensation works out close to 30%,” said Congress leader Namdeo Bhagat.

With the government decision, PAPs can now get compensatory land located more than 200 metres from the existing area of their residence. “This has increased the chances of getting more commercially prospective land as compensation for farmers,” said a source.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-12/mumbai/43979534_1_land-compensation-navi-mumbai-airport-paps.