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After Rajgurunagar, Farmers in Maharashtra's Purandar Oppose Pune International Airport

Reported by

Rimki Patgiri

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

February 13, 2017

May 17, 2022

Edited on

February 13, 2017

State

Maharashtra

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

7968

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

2400

ha

Starting Year

2016

Location of Conflict

Purandar

Rajewadi, Amble, Waghapur, Pargaon Memane, Khanawadi, Munjawadi and Ikhatpur villages

Pune

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Airport

Land Conflict Summary

In October 2016, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared Purandar tehsil in Pune as the site for a new international airport. The government gave permission to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed airport. The AAI has approved the site. The airport reportedly requires at least 2,400 hectares of land, which will affect 1,660 families. The residents of seven affected villages Rajewadi, Amble, Waghapur, Pargaon Memane, Khanawadi, Munjawadi and Ikhatpur have passed resolutions that they would not give away their land for the project. In November 2016, soon after the airport site was shifted to Purandar, the village residents attempted to block the survey for land in the area. A month later, they came together to form the Vimantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samarthak Sanghatan to officially oppose the project. On December 26, 2016, thousands of affected people in Purandar blocked the PunePandharpur Road for nearly two hours. They claimed that farming was their main source of livelihood and that no amount of compensation could make up for that loss. The womenfolk also threatened to go on a fast, stating that the airport would affect their livelihood and the future of their children. Asha Nimbalkar, sarpanch (head of panchayat) of one village, said that it was only recently that women in the villages have started farming and their land has seen any vegetation, so they do not want it to be taken away. Initially, Rajgurunagar in Chakan town was finalised as the site for the international airport. But due to opposition from farmers and the mountainous terrain, the government decided to set up the new airport in Purandar as it was a flatter region. Although Lohegaon air force station serves as an international airport in Pune city, only two to four international flights can operate from the airport. Moreover, it is an Air Force base and has a single civilian terminal, which operates both international as well as domestic traffic. In 2018, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited was declared the special planning authority to take the project forward. In August 2019, 1,555 affected people from the seven villages submitted their objection against the land acquisition to the Pune district administration. However, in December that year, the administration appointed seven deputy collectors to oversee the land acquisition process in each of the seven villages. The officers were tasked with talking to the affected people and resolving their issues so that the process could be completed within a year. The district administration had suggested to the Maharashtra government to make the villagers stakeholders in the project through a land pooling scheme, on which the state is yet to respond. In September 2020, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asked the Pune district administration to check the feasibility of developing the project at an alternate site. The decision came after MLA Sanjay Jagtap from the Purandar constituency proposed to shift the project due to mass opposition to the land acquisition.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

12000

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Central/State Government Policy

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 5 [The Collector shall conduct a public hearing in the area where land is sought to be acquired to ascertain the views of the affected families]; Section 15 [Any person interested in any acquired land may file objections as to the suitability of land proposed or justification offered for public purpose. The Collector shall ensure that the objectors are given the opportunity of being heard in person]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Maharashtra) Rules, 2014
Rule 5.2 [Public hearings shall be conducted in all the village panchayats in the affected area]; Rule 5.6 [The views and suggestions expressed by the affected families shall be recorded in writing and considered in the SIA report]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before any land is acquired in Scheduled Areas for development projects]
Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 8AA [The Gram Sabha shall convey its views to the panchayat before any decision is taken regarding acquisition of land by the government]; Section 54A(l) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before any land falling in its jurisdiction is acquired in Scheduled Areas for development purposes]
Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 26 [A planning authority seeking to commence a project shall prepare a draft Development Plan which shall be available to the public for inspection]; Section 28(1) [Any person may communicate in writing to the Planning Authority their suggestions or objection to the Draft Development plan. The Planning Committee, on receiving such suggestions or objections, may modify or change the plan in a manner that they see fit]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

The community filed objections before the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited as per Section 28 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966.

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

No items found.

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Development of a network or collective

Blockades

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Pune district administration, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Vimantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samarthak Sanghatan

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

In October 2016, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared Purandar tehsil in Pune as the site for a new international airport. The government gave permission to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed airport. The AAI has approved the site. The airport reportedly requires at least 2,400 hectares of land, which will affect 1,660 families. The residents of seven affected villages Rajewadi, Amble, Waghapur, Pargaon Memane, Khanawadi, Munjawadi and Ikhatpur have passed resolutions that they would not give away their land for the project. In November 2016, soon after the airport site was shifted to Purandar, the village residents attempted to block the survey for land in the area. A month later, they came together to form the Vimantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samarthak Sanghatan to officially oppose the project. On December 26, 2016, thousands of affected people in Purandar blocked the PunePandharpur Road for nearly two hours. They claimed that farming was their main source of livelihood and that no amount of compensation could make up for that loss. The womenfolk also threatened to go on a fast, stating that the airport would affect their livelihood and the future of their children. Asha Nimbalkar, sarpanch (head of panchayat) of one village, said that it was only recently that women in the villages have started farming and their land has seen any vegetation, so they do not want it to be taken away. Initially, Rajgurunagar in Chakan town was finalised as the site for the international airport. But due to opposition from farmers and the mountainous terrain, the government decided to set up the new airport in Purandar as it was a flatter region. Although Lohegaon air force station serves as an international airport in Pune city, only two to four international flights can operate from the airport. Moreover, it is an Air Force base and has a single civilian terminal, which operates both international as well as domestic traffic. In 2018, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited was declared the special planning authority to take the project forward. In August 2019, 1,555 affected people from the seven villages submitted their objection against the land acquisition to the Pune district administration. However, in December that year, the administration appointed seven deputy collectors to oversee the land acquisition process in each of the seven villages. The officers were tasked with talking to the affected people and resolving their issues so that the process could be completed within a year. The district administration had suggested to the Maharashtra government to make the villagers stakeholders in the project through a land pooling scheme, on which the state is yet to respond. In September 2020, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asked the Pune district administration to check the feasibility of developing the project at an alternate site. The decision came after MLA Sanjay Jagtap from the Purandar constituency proposed to shift the project due to mass opposition to the land acquisition.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Total investment involved (in Crores):

12000

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Central/State Government Policy

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 5 [The Collector shall conduct a public hearing in the area where land is sought to be acquired to ascertain the views of the affected families]; Section 15 [Any person interested in any acquired land may file objections as to the suitability of land proposed or justification offered for public purpose. The Collector shall ensure that the objectors are given the opportunity of being heard in person]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Maharashtra) Rules, 2014
Rule 5.2 [Public hearings shall be conducted in all the village panchayats in the affected area]; Rule 5.6 [The views and suggestions expressed by the affected families shall be recorded in writing and considered in the SIA report]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before any land is acquired in Scheduled Areas for development projects]
Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 8AA [The Gram Sabha shall convey its views to the panchayat before any decision is taken regarding acquisition of land by the government]; Section 54A(l) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before any land falling in its jurisdiction is acquired in Scheduled Areas for development purposes]
Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966
Section 26 [A planning authority seeking to commence a project shall prepare a draft Development Plan which shall be available to the public for inspection]; Section 28(1) [Any person may communicate in writing to the Planning Authority their suggestions or objection to the Draft Development plan. The Planning Committee, on receiving such suggestions or objections, may modify or change the plan in a manner that they see fit]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

The community filed objections before the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited as per Section 28 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966.

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

No items found.

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Development of a network or collective

Blockades

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Pune district administration, Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Vimantar Virodhi Sangharsh Samarthak Sanghatan

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Maharashtra

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