Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The district administration has issued the initial notification for the land acquisition required for the expansion of the runway at Chikalthana Airport. The expansion is estimated to cost around Rs 500 crore include charges of land acquisition charges to be carried out in the Chikalthana, Murtizapur, and Mukundwadi areas.
A total of 44 guts in Chikalthana, 4 in Murtizapur, and 8 in Mukundwadi will be acquired. The initial notification covers approximately 58 hectares of land, and a total of 143 hectares will be required for the runway expansion. This marks the first notification issued in the land acquisition process, which has been underway for the past five years.
Earlier, the land acquisition proposal was sent to the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) by the committee appointed by the district administration. Due to a lack of coordination between the district administration, the airport company, the land acquisition committee, and the airport director, the process was delayed. The issue of expansion has been under discussion since January 2021. In November 2021, the district administration sent the land acquisition proposal to the airport authority. Subsequently, in May 2022, a committee was formed for the runway widening. After that, an evaluation of the affected properties across 147 acres in Chikalthana, Mukundwadi, and Murtizapur was undertaken by the concerned department, and proposals were prepared accordingly. In March 2023, a provision for land acquisition was made in the state's budget.
825-metre runway extension
A significant amount of land will be required for the runway expansion and taxiways at the airport. Currently, the airport's runway is 9,300 feet (2,835 meters) long. The proposal is to extend the runway to 12,000 feet, which will require land acquisition for an additional 2,700 feet. A new 825-metre-long section of the runway will be constructed. The land acquisition will be carried out according to the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. In this regard, the initial notification has been issued under Section 11(1) by the Sub-Divisional Officer (Land Acquisition), Dr Vyanket Rathod. Administrative and financial approvals will be granted by the government. The process for the measurement of 147 acres of land has already been completed.
Efforts to complete land acquisition in 9 months
Dr Rathod said, “ Discussions regarding land acquisition had taken place prior to the elections. The notification for land acquisition has been issued, and after this, the final land acquisition process will begin. The time frame for completing this process is two years. However, the administration is making efforts to complete the land acquisition within 9 months, ensuring that 143 hectares of land will be handed over to the airport company.”