Flights to take off from Navi Mumbai airport in 2018: CIDCO

The town planning body announced yesterday that eight out of 10 villages have agreed to the state’s compensation plan; said main priority is settling disputes with villagers for smooth land acquisition

If City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is to be believed, the Navi Mumbai international airport will be ready by the end of 2018. Authorities said the first flight would take off from the airport in December 2018.

CIDCO said they would make the remaining two villages, which are refusing to give land for the airport, understand the details of the compensation package

The town planning body announced yesterday that most of the villages, which had earlier opposed the proposed airport and the rehabilitation package offered, have agreed to the state’s terms and conditions.

Earlier, out of 10 villages, six had objected to the land acquisition process. Now, the number has come down to two eight villages have agreed to the government’s 22.5 per cent land rehabilitation programme, where the displaced families will get developed land at an FSI of 2.

Sanjay Bhatia, vice-chairman and managing director of CIDCO, said, “We have started the survey in villages and over 90 per cent of it is complete. Villagers who earlier opposed the project have now agreed, and the project is gaining momentum. We are confident that the first flight will take off in December 2018.”

Authorities later added that they will make residents of the two remaining villages understand the nitty-gritty of the rehabilitation package and would not impose or force their views on them. The authority has also extended the deadline for submitting the Request For Qualification (RFQ) for developing the airport till July-end.

Bhatia added that their main priority is settling disputes with the villagers for smooth acquisition of land. Villagers whose plots have already been surveyed and who have submitted relevant papers for the Pushpak Nagar township, where the displaced persons will be given land, will be allotted plots via a lottery on August 15. CIDCO also said that July 23 would be the last date for people to submit their land papers, after which they can participate in the draw.

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