Halwara Int’l Airport revs up for take-off

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 19

After signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for setting up an international airport terminal at the existing Air Force Station at Halwara and setting the process in motion for a joint venture company (JVC) for this purpose, the Punjab Government has issued a notice for acquisition of land measuring 161.27 acre for the project in Aittiana village that falls in Raikot subdivision of the district.

The notification issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Department (on July 17) under Section 11 of ‘The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 has empowered the officers for the time being engaged in the undertaking with their servants and workmen to enter upon and survey the land in the said locality and do all other acts required or permitted by Section 12 of the Act.

It has been further laid down in the notification that no person shall without the prior approval of the collector, make any transaction or cause any transaction of land specified in the notification or create any encumbrances on such land from the date of publication of this notification till such times as the proceedings regarding acquisition are completed.

Social Impact Assessment

Earlier, after a notification for ‘social impact assessment’ (SIA) of the land proposed to be acquired for the project was made on February 28 under Section 4(1) of the Act, the District Revenue Officer-Competent Authority, Land Acquisition, Ludhiana, had conducted a public hearing at Aittiana village on May 2 to discuss the social impact of the acquisition of said land.

In the SIA report, the competent authority had stated: “People are not likely to be displaced. However, around 90 families are losing land. No direct impact identified during SIA. The SIA has been disclosed to the people and their representative as per Section 6 of the Act.”  

Demands of land owners

Even though the notification for acquisition of land has been issued giving a time period of 60 days from the date of notification to file objections in writing, if any, over the land acquisition (before the Land Acquisition Collector-cum-Additional Chief Administrator, GLADA), there seem so many more hurdles to be crossed before land is finally acquired and work could begin on the project.

First and foremost, the land owners have reportedly rejected the price being offered tentatively by the government at around Rs 17-20 lakh per acre while maintaining that the market price stood at more than Rs 1 crore per acre. They have also asked the government to make sure that local youth were employed in the air terminal and further that any subsequent purchase of land by them should be exempt from stamp duty. 

Timeline

• December 3, 2018: Project gets nod from Punjab Cabinet.
• December 20, 2018: MOU signed between Punjab Government and AAI for the project.
• June 12, 2019: MOU signed between Punjab Government and AAI to form a joint venture company (JVC) to set up and operate the air terminal.
• February 28, 2019: Notification issued under Section 4 (1) of the Act for Social Impact Assessment.
• May 2, 2019: Public hearing of persons likely to be affected by acquisition of land under Section 5 of the Act.
• July 17, 2019: Notification for acquisition of 161.27 acre land in Aittiana village issued under Section 11 of the Act.