The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) has come up with a redressal formula that is different from the local demand. The nodal agency for the development of Navi Mumbai international airport proposes to hand over a total of 22.5 per cent of developed land, instead of a monetary compensation of Rs 20 crore per acre as pressed by the project-affected people from 10 villages.
The proposed land would be provided by the Cidco management in Navi Mumbai, and the villagers would be entitled to use a portion of the developed land for residential and commercial purposes.
Of the total 2,020 hectares of land required for the airport project, nearly 1,400 hectares was in Cidco’s possession, while the state government has agreed to hand over its 150 hectare for the project. Cidco needs another 450 hectares of private land, for which notices have been served under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. A high-level committee is currently discussing
The corporation’s management and representatives of the project-affected persons from the 10 villages are currently discussing the proposal for providing 22.5 per cent developed land. The meetings are being convened by a high-level committee chaired by Konkan divisional commissioner S S Sandhu.
Cidco chairman Pramod Hindurao said negotiations were progressing over the acquisition of nearly 450 hectares of land from 10 villages. “We have proposed to give 22.5 per cent developed land to the villagers, instead of a monetary compensation. The villagers have responded positively,” he told Business Standard.
Of the 22.5 per cent land, the villagers will be entitled to get 12.5 per cent developed land as per a 1990 decision taken by the Sharad Pawar government for all project-affected persons in Navi Mumbai. “In fact, we are offering 10 per cent more developed land,” Hindurao added. The issue, he hoped, would soon be settled, paving the way for clearance for the request for qualification (RFQ) by the central government.
R C Gharat, advisor to the project-affected persons from 18 villages, said the residents were in favour of Cidco’s proposal. “The discussions at the Sandhu committee should be expedited. Cidco and the district administration need to fix the villagers and then take a decision on providing 22.5 per cent developed land,” he added.
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The Land Acquisition Bill moved by the central government and currently being discussed at the joint select committee of Parliament has a proposal to give a portion of developed land to the project-affected persons, Gharat said. The Sandhu committee and Cidco management should regularly hold discussions for arriving at an early settlement, he added.
A Cidco official said lack of acquisition of 450 hectares of private land had left its RFQ pending for clearance with the central government since January. Further, the government and Cidco have already petitioned the Centre to transfer the airport project under the provisions of Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008.
If the union government accepts the state’s demand for the transfer of the entire project, then all approvals would be taken from the state government. Further, Cidco would be able to issue RFQ at the earliest. Currently, it is examining both revenue share model and viability gap funding option that can be used to select the developer.
Cidco, founded in 1970, hopes the first phase to be commissioned in 2015 with an investment of Rs 9,150 crore. The total project cost has been pegged at Rs 14,573 crore.