MMRDA considers acquiring land for MTHL independently

However,with the state government continuing to struggle with convincing the project-affected people to hand over land for the airport,MMRDA is keeping open the option of acquiring land for MTHL independently.

“We are in discussions with the project-affected people. The government will take a decision about the compensation package to be given for the airport and we will abide by that. In case that does not happen in time for the MTHL,we can acquire the land independently,” said Ashwini Bhide,additional metropolitan commissioner,MMRDA.

The 22-km MTHL needs much less private land than Navi Mumbai airport,she added.

The MMRDA needed to acquire 125 hectares for the Rs 9,630-crore MTHL,of which just 28 hectares is private land in villages of Gavai,Jasan and Chirle in Uran taluka. With the exception of this private land parcel,the MMRDA has got approvals from the government authorities concerned to acquire the rest of the land. The development agency hopes to get complete right of way before the construction begins,which is expected by the year-end.

Last week,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said in a written reply to a question raised in the legislative assembly that acquisition of 291 hectares of private land for Navi Mumbai airport out of a total land requirement of 2,072 hectares was delayed due to opposition from project-affected people.

While City and Industrial Development Corporation had offered 12.5 per cent of the developed land as compensation,the stakeholders are demanding return of at least 30 per cent of developed land.

In a nutshell

Land acquisition from private parties for the Sewri-Nhava link is linked to the land acquisition process for the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport,as MMRDA has decided to offer the same compensation package for MTHL,too

With the state government struggling to convince project-affected people to hand over land for the airport,MMRDA is keeping open the option of acquiring land for MTHL independently