Pune: Bombay high court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by three farmers seeking to shift the proposed site of the Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Greenfield International Airport at Purandar, clearing the way for the state to proceed with land acquisition for the long-delayed project.The petitioners own agricultural lands situated across seven affected villages. A division bench of justices Suman Shyam and Advait M. Sethna ruled that the petitioners failed to establish any statutory violations in the acquisition process.The court held that selecting a site for a major public infrastructure project is essentially a policy decision involving technical and operational considerations best left to experts. It added that courts cannot interfere in such strategic matters and stated that aggrieved farmers could instead approach competent authorities to challenge land acquisition and compensation amounts if they are not in accordance with the law.The state govt informed the court that 96% of farmers across Vanpuri, Kumbharvalan, Udachiwadi, Ekhathpur, Munjewadi, Khanwadi, and Pargaon villages have already consented to the acquisition. So far, 910 hectares have been acquired, with approximately Rs3,875 crore paid out as compensation to landowners. According to the district administration, the govt has extended the deadline for farmers to give their consent from Sept 25 to Oct 10, aiming to complete the entire acquisition process by Oct 20.Officials stated that lands for which consent is not received by Oct 10 will be acquired compulsorily, and those landowners will miss out on the lucrative rehabilitation package offered to consenting farmers.Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi told TOI that he has appealed to farmers to submit their consent within the extended timeline, noting that those opting for consent-based acquisition will receive a 10% return along with other rehabilitation policy benefits. He also urged joint landholders to resolve any internal disputes quickly to accept their compensation and avoid payment delays.
