In a significant move to revive the long-delayed Purandar international airport project, the Pune district administration has introduced a new compensation model offering developed plots worth 10 per cent of the surrendered land to farmers who voluntarily part with their land. These plots will be located in a planned AeroCity near the proposed airport and allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. Around 700 acres have been earmarked for this purpose.

The revised package, finalised at a recent high-level meeting in Mumbai, ensures that consenting farmers will receive four times the market value of their land plus 10 per cent of the original land area returned as developed plots. Officials believe this dual-benefit approach will help expedite the much-delayed acquisition process.

Land will be acquired under the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Act, 2019. Only those who voluntarily surrender their land will be eligible for the 10 per cent developed plot benefit; non-consenting farmers will receive only monetary compensation.

Starting next week, landowners may submit their consents either at the Pune Collector’s office or the Saswad Sub-Divisional Officer’s office. The allocation will be prioritised on a first-come basis, giving early applicants preference for more prime locations within the AeroCity.

Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi stated that the AeroCity, to be developed around the airport’s core zone, will feature both commercial and residential infrastructure. The 10 per cent plots to be distributed will fall within this integrated urban plan.

The airport project spans 2,673 hectares across seven villages in Purandar taluka: Vanpuri, Udachiwadi, Kumbharvalan, Ekhatpur, Munjwadi, Khanwadi, and Pargaon. While 1,500 hectares will be used for core airport operations, the remainder will support ancillary development and rehabilitation efforts. Of this, 267 hectares (around 667.5 acres) will be reserved for farmer resettlement through developed plots.

Previously, notices were served to affected landowners, resulting in 2,163 objections from 2,451 owners. Following hearings, data reveals that over 82 per cent of the 13,300 landowners did not raise objections, suggesting strong overall support for the project.