Purandar landowners protest against airport project intensifies

Landowners in Purandar are increasing their protests against a new airport project. Over the past ten days, they have sought guidance from former judges and made promises to keep their lands. They are concerned about recent government actions, including notifications and the appointment of officials to speed up land acquisition. About 20% of the over 5,000 landowners say they are open to selling their land and are waiting for a government offer. They are trying to identify those who want to join the protests instead. One landowner, B S Memane, mentioned that many are worried about what will happen next. Last week, the landowners held a meeting with former Bombay High Court judge B G Kolse Patil. Over 300 landowners attended and vowed not to give up their land. They plan to protest peacefully and may take legal action if needed. Another landowner noted that two villages had their community meetings last week, and more are planned for this week. To support their protests, landowners have asked each one to contribute 25 rupees for every guntha of land they own, creating a fund for their efforts. They hope other villages will join this initiative. As Gudi Padwa approaches on March 30, many landowners may forgo celebrations. They have planned a significant meeting on that day to discuss their next steps and make critical decisions. Attempts to meet with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have not been successful. The airport project requires 2,832 hectares from seven villages. This includes 2,753.053 hectares declared by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation as an industrial area. An additional 70 hectares will be taken from the state forest department for the airport. A week ago, officials were appointed to speed up the land acquisition process.