Purandar Airport land acquisition is set to enter its final phase after Pune district administration decided to compulsorily acquire the remaining 40 hectares required for the proposed Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje International Purandar Airport. The move follows continued opposition from some landowners in Pargaon, despite the administration stating that 96% of farmers across seven villages have agreed to provide land.
The airport project requires approximately 1,216 hectares, or nearly 3,000 acres, across Kumbharvalan, Vanpuri, Eakhatpur, Pargaon, Munjwadi, Khanwadi and one other village in Purandar taluka. According to the district administration, the remaining land is concentrated largely in Pargaon, where some farmers have continued to oppose the acquisition.
The administration has accelerated the land acquisition process after stating that the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition filed by farmers opposing the project. The claim about the court decision was made by the administration in the report. Authorities have indicated that the compulsory acquisition process will now be implemented for the remaining parcels.
The consent figure and the land possession figure show a gap in the acquisition process. Although 96% of farmers have reportedly agreed to the land transfer, the administration has taken possession of only 76% of the total land required for the airport. The remaining 40 hectares must be secured before the land acquisition process can be completed, according to the district administration.
The state government has offered compensation of Rs 1.61 crore per acre to farmers whose land is acquired. Separate compensation has also been agreed for trees, wells and structures located on the affected properties. The government has made funds available to the district administration for the land acquisition process, and approximately Rs 4,000 crore has so far been deposited into farmers’ bank accounts as compensation.
The administration has also stated that landowners whose parcels are acquired compulsorily will not receive the additional facilities and compensation benefits offered to farmers who consented to the acquisition. This distinction is likely to shape the final stage of the process, particularly for landowners in Pargaon who continue to oppose the project.
The Purandar airport proposal has remained dependent on securing the full project land. The latest decision indicates that the district administration intends to use compulsory acquisition powers to close the gap between the land already taken into possession and the total area required. The next step is the execution of the compulsory acquisition process for the remaining land parcels.
