Compensation for crop loss on government’s radar

PUNE: The state government is mulling over providing the land losers of Purandar taluka an amount equivalent to their

crop loss

over a period of 10 years as a part of the compensation-cum-rehabilitation package for the proposed international airport.

Purandar MLA Vijay Shivtare told TOI he had forwarded a demand for crop

compensation

to the land losers to the government. The minister is confident his proposal would be accepted.

“The state government is at present working hard towards finalizing a good compensation-cum-rehabilitation package for the landowners of Purandar. Quite a few things are yet to be decided, but we have asked that people losing land should get an amount equal to their crop loss for a period of 10 years. The demand, I am sure, will be accepted by the state government,” Shivtare told TOI.

A majority of farmers of Purandar taluka are into fruit cultivation. Some people grow crops, too.

“The survey work for the airport has started and only a handful of people are protesting. Once it is completed in a month or two, the detailed project report, earmarking the exact plots to be acquired apart from other important aspects, will be made public,” said the MLA.

“One can see that things are moving pretty fast. We expect the new airport will start functioning within the stipulated time frame. The landowners need not have to worry and they will not be cheated under any circumstances,” Shivtare pointed out.

The TOI had reported earlier that the land pooling scheme introduced by Andhra Pradesh chief minister

Chandrababu Naidu

in Amaravati, the southern state capital, had impressed the administrative officials going there for a recce.

“The land losers are expected to get assured land besides money for 10 years. The state government is considering many other aspects to make the compensation package people-friendly. Once the whole thing is announced, we are sure the landowners will like it and there will not be any further complaints,” an official requesting anonymity told TOI.

The land pooling scheme includes giving back landowners developed residential and commercial plots ranging between 900 and 1,700 square yards for every acre they surrender to the government.

According to the Andhra Pradesh government’s plan, the landowners will receive an annual compensation between Rs30, 000 and Rs50, 000 per acre with a 10 per cent increase each year for a period of 10 years.

Senior officials of the

MADC

(Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited) said they would be able to say which villages would come under the airport project only after the survey was over and the detailed project report was in place. The authorities appealed to the agitating villagers of Purandar to cooperate with the officials conducting the survey.

The villagers did not budge, though. They stressed they did not want to part with their land in lieu of money.


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