Sarpanchs of 7 villages boycott Purandar land acquisition meeting with Pune Collector
After over 10 years of failed negotiations between farmers and the government over land acquisition for the airport, the District Collectorate announced in September that it had received consent from farmers owning 94% of the required land.
Sarpanchs of Purandar villages, where the government is in the process of acquiring land for Pune’s proposed International Airport, boycotted a meeting called by Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi on Monday, due to dissatisfaction from the previous meetings. The Indian Express has seen copies of letters from Sarpanchs of all seven concerned villages announcing their decision to boycott the meeting. These villages are Ekhatpur-Munjawadi, Khanwadi, Kumbharwalan, Pargaon, Udachiwadi, and Vanpuri.
Tushar Zhurange, Upsarpanch of Ekhatpur-Munjawadi, told The Indian Express, “All the farmers have collectively decided to boycott this meeting called by the Collector. It is only the outside investors who have attended today’s meeting.”
However, Dudi later said, “More than 70-80 farmers were present in today’s meeting. There were farmers present in the last meeting and this meeting as well. They have made certain demands like an increase in the per acre compensation from the Rs 1 crore offered and an increase in the 10% developed land being provided. The government is positively considering the demands. Some gram panchayats sent letters asking for time for another meeting and that can always be considered.”
The letter by Ekhatpur-Munjawadi Sarpach Sheetal Tilekar put forward a list of conditions to be met before they are called for another meeting. She demanded that the minutes of the previous meeting held on October 31 be made public. Secondly, she has demanded that a compliance report be provided by the Collector office regarding communication with the government about their demand of compensation higher than the Rs 1 crore offered.
Further, she has demanded that a Government Resolution (GR) regarding jobs and employment for the project-affected farmers be released, and that seals (restrictions) on land exceeding the required acquisition area be removed. Other letters mention dissatisfaction with investors being given priority over farmers in the previous meetings.
In a press note, Dudi informed that the various topics like land price and compensation, exemption from income tax on compensation, stamp duty exemption for rehabilitation, project-affected and landless certificates, Kunbi certificates, increased FSI, infrastructure plan in the vicinity, evaluation of agricultural crops, permanent job opportunities at the airport for landowners, reservation in land, concession in loan interest rates for business and employment, concession in educational fees, and other such issues were discussed in the meeting on Monday.
After over 10 years of failed negotiations between farmers and the government over land acquisition for the airport, the District Collectorate announced in September that it had received consent from farmers owning 94% of the required land. Following this, the land survey was peacefully carried out by the Revenue Department. Currently, negotiations with the landowners regarding compensation are being carried out by the district administration.
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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