Indore: 1230 acre land for airport expansion to cost MP government over 3K crore

INDORE: The state government’s plan for Indore airport expansion by acquiring additional 1230 acre land of six adjacent villages will cost it over Rs 3400 crore. The cost includes compensation amount to be provided to land owners.
“Airport Authority of India (AAI) had raised a demand for expansion of Indore airport and additional land was required. The authority had sent two proposals of airport’s expansion by developing one or two runways.The state government has decided to go for developing one runway, which is expected to meet demands by 2040 and initiated the process for identification of 1230 acre land,” divisional commissioner Akash Tripathi told TOI.
For primary survey, a team of administrative officials including tehsildar, revenue inspector and patwari took a helicopter ride to carry out inspection of land adjacent to the airport. The team identified 24.43 hectare land in Nainod village, 88.1 hectare in Kordiyabardi village, 61.48 hectare in Sirpur village, 203.33 hectare in Simhasa village, 53.42 hectare in Bisnavada village and 18.25 hectare in Navdapanth village.
As per the collector’s guideline, cost of the total 449 hectare land is around Rs 1700 crore and as per the rules, its double amount - Rs 3400 crore - will be allotted by the state government as compensation to land owners.
“A report of primary survey along with cost of the land has been sent to the state government for its consent. The land acquisition process is expected to last next couple of years but once state government finalizes the proposal, the land will be taken over to ban any construction work in the marked area,” the commissioner said.
At present, Indore airport is spread in around 750 acre land but after getting status of an international airport with its plan to start flights to/from other countries, additional land is required to make further infrastructural development. Recently, the district administration has provided around 20 acre land, adjacent to Bijasan Mata Mandir, to the airport authority for expansion.