Rs2.4k-cr land acquisition for Sadhugram to start from Oct

Nashik: State govt has decided to begin land acquisition for Sadhugram from Oct this year, with a budget provision of Rs2,400 crore already made for the purpose.The acquisition will cover 283 acres of land reserved under the ‘no development zone' at Tapovan, where Sadhugram is set up to accommodate sadhus during the Kumbh Mela.According to officials, the amount of Rs2,400 crore will be released in a lump sum once the acquisition process formally begins. The proposal for acquisition of the land is currently with the state govt's urban development department for its approval. After the proposal is cleared, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) will initiate the process to acquire the remaining 283 out of the total 377 acres reserved for Sadhugram.NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri said, "State govt is positive about acquiring the remaining land from the ‘no-development zone reserved for Sadhugram. We have already held discussions with the landowners. If we acquire all the remaining land from the zone by paying cash compensation, we will require around Rs 2,400 crore."When contacted, Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) commissioner Shekhar Singh said therewas no issue about securing funds for the acquisition of the 283 acres of land. "The budgetary allocation of Rs 2,400 crore has already been made and the funds will be disbursed when the actual land acquisition begins," Singh said.He added that the proposal related to land acquisition is presently with the urban development department of the state government for approval. "Once the proposal is approved, the subsequent process of land acquisition will begin. We are expecting the municipal corporation to start the acquisition from October. Simultaneously, other infrastructure works on the Sadhugram land will also commence," Singh said.Singh further said that apart from the 283 acres to be permanently acquired, there is also a plan for temporary requisition of around 900 to 1,000 acres in and around the Tapovan area to accommodate the large number of sadhus expected during the upcoming Kumbh Mela. "In effect, Sadhugram will be spread over around 1,300 acres during the next Kumbh," he said.