Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Further delay likely in land acquisition for Hubli airport

HUBLI: The land acquisition process for expansion of Hubli airport is likely to be delayed further with the people affected by the project expressing unhappiness over preliminary compensation proposals.

The preliminary meetings held by the Deputy Commissioner to facilitate a “consent award” have failed to arrive at a consensus on compensation to be fixed for various land and building categories.

The affected people have made it clear that they will give their land only if their demand for fair compensation is fulfilled, which is likely to complicate the issue.

Meanwhile, farmers of villages surrounding the airport, whose land has been identified for acquisition, have decided to launch an agitation if the Government “fails” to fulfil their demands.

A meeting held recently under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Pakshateeta Raitha Horata Samiti decided to constitute a subcommittee to chalk out an action plan on agitation at a meeting to be held on Saturday at Gokul village near the airport.

“Farmers are not against the Government acquiring their land for expansion of the airport. But that does not mean that the Government could pay them a pittance as compensation,” B.M. Hanasi, president of the samiti, which is fighting for better compensation, said. The farmers’ argument is that they should be given compensation for their farmland on par with other categories of land. “Large tracts of farmland around the airport has been purchased and converted for non-agricultural purposes. Compensation for converted land is higher than what farmers have been offered for their land,” he said.

The samiti had worked out a Rs. 1.14-crore compensation package for farmland. “We have conveyed our demand to the Deputy Commissioner during the recent meeting. If it is not fulfilled, we will launch an agitation,” Mr. Hanasi said.

Meanwhile, others affected by the airport expansion plan, including residential site owners and industrialists, have refused the compensation proposed by the district administration. But lack of information on when the acquisition process will be completed and when they have to vacate their property has added to their confusion.

Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain said that he had orally communicated to Ministers and officials concerned about the outcomes of the five meetings he had held with the affected people.

He said that he would send a detailed report on the proceedings of the meetings to the Government on Tuesday. Further action would be taken as per the direction of the State Government, he added.

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