The six villages that rejected the compensation package to acquire land for the proposed Navi Mumbai airport, have offered the land on lease to the government if it is bound by constraints.
The residents of these six villages under Pargaon and Owala gram panchayats declared on Friday that they were not opposed to the airport project but would not compromise on their demands.
Mahendra Patil, former sarpanch of Pargaon panchayat, said, “Our main demand still includes 35% developed land with an FSI of 3 and cash compensation of Rs6.25 crore per hectare. The other option forwarded by our committee to the state government was distribution of plots under the 12.5% scheme with an FSI of 3 and a cash compensation of Rs16 crore per hectare.”
Patil told journalists at the Pargaon panchayat office that a third lease option was also put forward at a meeting with the government on November 11, 2013, but it was not discussed.
“The government should pay us a rent of Rs1 lakh per acre and the rent should be increased by 30% every three years. We are prepared to make adjustments if the state government is facing constraints, but the officials must discuss these with us,” Patil said.
When asked about the lease proposal by the villagers, Sanjay Bhatia, Cidco managing director, said, “There will be no further negotiations. The offer we made is final.”
According to the plan for the airport, the main runway and core area of operations would come up on the land where the six villages are located, which is why the opposition of the villagers is significant. This land measures 457 hectares.
Patil, who lost the recent elections for sarpanch, underlined that the government would have to deal with the Navi Mumbai Antarrashtriya Shetkari Sangharsha Samiti, which represents the six villages that had parted ways with the Prakalpagrast Sangharsh Samiti.
“We are an apolitical organisation. Not a single person from the six villages shows his political affiliations when it comes to the airport issue,” Patil said.
Their committee includes lawyers, doctors and engineers and is advised by PB Sawant, former Supreme Court judge, and BG Kolse-Patil, former high court judge. “Any decision will be taken in consultation with them,” he said.
A meeting of the villagers is planned at Kolhi village, in Kopar, on January 14. Sawant and Kolse-Patil will address the meeting.
Rural opposition
According to the plan for the airport, the main runway and core area of operations would come up on the land where the six villages are located, which is why the opposition of the villagers is significant. This land measures 457 hectares.
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