Airport Phase-2 land acquisition plan cleared

The rehab plan is worth about Rs 555 crore and the disbursement,slated to start next month,will cover 1,387 hectares in Warale,Bhambuli,Waruli,Shinde,Khalumbre and Sawardari villages.

An MIDC officer said the committee has accepted the proposal and the MIDC will work towards speedy implementation.

“The project has been pending too long. We want to disburse the rehabilitation package as early as possible,” he said.

The project,first notified in 1996,could see the disbursement end by 2009-end.

The MIDC may be in a position to invite industries to Chakan II by the middle of next year.

District collector Chandrakant Dalvi had conducted several meetings with people affected by the project before settling the package.

The proposal includes a 15 per cent buy-back option at half the MIDC rate and a 200 sq m plot for housing to those affected.

The collector forwarded the proposal to the committee in the Mantralaya in March for review.

Officers at the Mantralaya admit there were bureaucratic hurdles – for many years there was no follow-up with the farmers,then officers at the helm were transferred; the government too was taking it easy perhaps on account of the low demand of land from the industry.

There were several rounds of discussions in the villages; negotiations took place with 600 farmers in Pune.

“Initially the rate offered was

Rs 32 lakh per hectare which the farmers did not accept. Now the compensation is in line with ruling rates nearby,” an official said.

Chakan farmers are relieved that the proposal has been cleared. Vilas Kale,who has offered 12 acres,is counting his gains of Rs 1.92 crore. “I plan to use the money to buy another plot nearby for farming,” he said.

Another farmer,Tanaji Khendale,said he and others had conducted several meetings with district officers to speed up the process. “We could not do anything with the land after the notification. There was a long delay; finally we will get returns,” said Khendale,whose 13 acres will get him Rs 2.08 crore.