The City and Industrial Development Cooperation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) has decided to increase the percentage of developed land to be given as compensation to the project affected people (PAPs). Those affected by the Navi Mumbai International Project will now be offered 22 per cent of the developed land.
In a recent meeting with the PAPs, CIDCO reportedly admitted to increasing the percentage of the developed land to be given to the original land holders.
According to an officer from the urban development department, the option was feasible for the government and was in the interest of the PAPs too. The agreement is expected to be sealed shortly.
Of the 2,075 hectare of land required for the airport, CIDCO has 1,500 hectare while the state handed over 250 hectare and 290 hectare has to be acquired from private parties. With the additional 310 hectare required for airport related activities, the total size of the private land to be acquired comes up to 600 hectare.
With 7 villages and 10 hamlets affected due to the project, the PAPs have been demanding a hefty compensation for their land. In some cases, they have quoted Rs20 crore per acre.
“The monetary compensation demanded was unreasonable, but we are now considering giving them the developed land as compensation. This would help the local people in retaining their land and maintaining their means of livelihood. In some previous cases, the monetary compensations were short lived and the PAPs had become bankrupt,” an official said.
In the late 80s, the state government had constituted a policy of offering 12.5 per cent of the land to the PAPs. Since then, they have been getting the developed land of that quantum against the land acquired.
However, some old PAPs have been complaining about CIDCO’s betrayal as developed land has not been handed over to them yet. “Of the 1,095 hectare of land to be distributed as relief to the PAPs, over 800 hectares have already been distributed. But some have not benefitted from this as the litigation is still pending,” the official added.
Tanaji Satre, joint managing director of CIDCO, said they were positive about the compensation formula even though the final decision is yet to be made. “This is in the interest of the PAPs and they seem to be positive about it,” he told DNA.
