"Take it or leave it"

Almost two months after the feasibility of Navi Mumbai International Airport was questioned by a top state government official, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), the implementing authority for the mega project, has come up with a ‘take it or leave it’ offer.
The Cidco has made a final offer to project affected persons (PAPs) which, according to the planning agency, is the best offer it can give to end the stalemate over the vexed issue of land acquisition for the project.
“The rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) scheme offered by us to the PAPs is the best we can give to them. This will ensure that these people remain economically well-off if they agree to give away their land for the project,” Cidco managing director Sanjay Bhatia said. “Besides rehabilitating them in the best possible way, we will offer 22.5% developed plot to each and every family of PAPs, which is the best in the country.”
Cidco claims that after development of the airport land, the PAPs will get a market value of at least Rs.15 crore per hectare, even by conservative estimates.
Waking to the possibility of the project falling through, the PAPs took Cidco’s offer positively during the meeting on Friday, paving the way for a solution to the long-pending impasse. “The PAPs have given an in-principle agreement to our proposal and we expect a formal announcement to be made after their meeting with the chief minister early next week,” Bhatia said. He is hopeful of the deal going through before the CM’s meeting with the PMO later next week.
Also, the Cidco will provide vocational training to the GenNext of project affected people aged between 18 and 35. This will help them get employment in the allied sectors that will mushroom once the airport becomes operational.
“Development of airport will bring with it many job opportunities across various sectors such as civil aviation and hospitality. Young people will get trained at the country’s best institutes. This will ensure their employment,” Bhatia said.
Cidco joint managing director V Radha, who too was present at the briefing, said the Cidco will come up with a new township, Pushpak Nagar, close to the proposed airport. Around 1,200 stakeholders of the airport will be rehabilitated there. “Pushpak Nagar, spread across 180 hectares of land, will be a developed city having state-of-the-art infrastructure besides best facilities for education, healthcare and shopping.
The Cidco has offered to construct 3,500 houses to relocate 10 villages of Targhar, Kombadbhuje, Ulwe, Ganeshpuri, Vaghivali-Vada, Upper Owale, Kolhi, Kopar, Chinchpada and Vaghivali. While some villagers will be relocated at Vadghar, the remaining ones will be relocated at Wahal,” Radha said.