Hurdles in Pune airport dreams

The state cabinet had given a nod for an international airport in Pune in the Chakan-Rajgurunagar belt. This area lies about 35 kilometers north of the city and the approval had given fresh hope for the ambitious project finally seeing the light of the day. But the dream for this international airport still has a long way to go and it would be quiet some time before Pune's airport dream comes true. This delay has been predicted considering that the newly authorized Maharashtra Airport Development Company or the MADC would have to undergo the entire process of securing fresh clearances, which would be given from various union ministries and central agencies. Apart from this, the re-notification process for acquiring 3,365 hectare land required in the project, which was first mooted in 2000-01, had failed. This project failed to move beyond papers due to change of plans at different stages. For example, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation or the MIDC had to implement the project before the MADC. This problem came into picture on May 15, 2008 and by this time; the MIDC had already notified that the 2,565 hectare area, which covered Rajgurunagar and adjoining six villages, would require fresh issues for clearance. At this time the appointed appoint agencies were already carrying out the techno-economic feasibility study and the topographic survey investigation for the site and the MADC had been asked by the government to takeover the project, which resulted in fresh issues regarding land acquisition.
 
The MADC general manager Ramesh Yaul said that the MIDC would go ahead with land acquisition process under the MIDC Act but the MADC was not permitted to do the same and it would have to go by the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. The state cabinet had given its administrative sanction for the proposed airport, which would be built on a public-private partnership or PPP basis. Even the name for this project had been decided and it would be known as New Chakan Airport'. However the officials concerned in this case had said that the cabinet resolved to seek clearances from union ministries for civil aviation along with the defense, environment and forests ministries and the Airports Authority of India regarding the approval of the MADC for the special planning authority, for land acquisition and development. There have also been reports that the cabinet's clearance to a Rs 200-crore amount for the project has been made but there is no specific mention about any decision to this effect. But it has been said that separate orders would be given regarding the financial sanction for the proposed airport. Along with this the extent of participation by the state and the union governments and the private companies and the MADC would also be decided. The Pune district collector Chandrakant Dalvi said that the district administration would have to wait for the government's directives on land acquisition and they had already given their suggestions but were waiting for further orders.