After a very long time, Nagpur has got something to talk home about. The Multi-modal International Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) project spread over 4,025 hectares, entails a special economic zone, road and rail terminals, a health city, an international school, a captive power plant and residential area, has to come up speedily before it loses marketability. The SEZ alone is to be developed over 1,475 hectares.
The biggest issue, of course, relates to land acquisition and compensation for affected persons. A committee headed by principal secretary, urban development, Ramanand Tiwari, has already submitted its recommendations. The government must endeavour to rope in these people as stakeholders in the project, so that they benefit with the progress and development of the region. Till date, according to the MADC website, 1,652 hectares or 41 per cent of the required land has been acquired. The MADC must double-up and fast-track the acquisition bit. For this, the government must announce a fair and forward looking relief and rehabilitation policy at the earliest.
Another procedural aspect delaying action is the transfer of airport assets by the Airport Authority of India to Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation, the agency entrusted by the state to handle the MIHAN project. But this is not as tricky as compensation for project-affected persons and land acquisition.
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