Amravati airport: MADC eyes 270 acres

NAGPUR/AMRAVATI: Though the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) may not have been a le to acquire the entire land required for its flagship Mihan project in Nagpur, it is hoping to get possession of the 270 hectares it needs for the Amravati airport, soon.
As of now, MADC does not have any immediate plans for this project. A decision on whether this airport will be run on built operate transfer (BOT) basis or MADC will directly run the show will be taken later.
It's been just a week since the process started and payouts for 30% of the area required have already been disbursed. Apart from the much touted cargo hub and Mihan special economic zone (SEZ), this state government company is also developing airports in small towns such as Amravati, Gadchiroli, Solapur, Jalgaon and Shirdi.
If the project materializes, it will be the region's second airport. MADC is also in the process of acquiring land for the Solapur airport where it needs over 250 hectares.
Known as the Belora airport it is only an airstrip which is being used for VIP aircraft or chartered flights.
MADC's vice-chairman-cum-managing director UPS Madan told TOI that both the Amravati and Solapur airports have reached a similar stage of land acquisition.
"The basic idea is to create an infrastructure for commercial operations in small centres and then look ahead for a demand. Such airports can't be compared with those in Nagpur or Pune. Initial linking with the city on one side and Mumbai on the other would be enough. A decision to run the airports with or without a private partner will be taken later considering the market factors," said Madan.
An official in the Amravati collectorate which is conducting the acquisition process said that the job may be completed by June-end. So far, payments have been made for 80 hectares of land in Belora and Nimbora Lahe.
He added that over 99% of the oustees have agreed to part with their land which was acquired after mutual negotiations. A rate of Rs 6, 9 and 12 lakh an acre has been offered depending upon the irrigation facilities. Negotiations started over a year ago and ended in a couple of rounds, said the official.
Orders for land acquisition were issued in 2009. Initially, there was resentment after a farmer ended life. Later farmers agreed following a series of meetings with the district administration.
The cost of acquiring land in the four villages is estimated at Rs 60 crore. So far, two villages have been covered with MADC depositing Rs 28 crore, said the officer. "In all, there are 204 oustees and the good compensation offered made them part with their land. One family is yet to give its consent because of internal disputes," said the officer involved in acquisition process.