No smooth take-off for Hubli airport upgrade project

The initiative by the Karnataka government to acquire additional land for upgrading the Hubli airport to international standards may not be a smooth affair. Going by the belligerent mood of those who will lose land to the project, the acquisition process may turn out to be an uphill task for the government.

Dharwad deputy commissioner Darpan Jain on Monday convened a meeting of the farmers who would be losing their lands to convince them of the need to acquire the land and to arrive at a consensus on the compensation to be paid. However, the meeting failed to arrive at a consensus as the farmers’ demand was much more than what the government proposed to pay.

The farmers demanded a price of Rs 1.11 crore per acre for agriculture land and also wanted the members of each of the land-losing family to be provided government jobs.

Speaking at the meeting, the farmers urged the government to pay the compensation on a par with that paid to farmers whose lands were acquired for the Devanahalli International Airport in Bangalore.

Builder Suresh Shejwadkar proposed a price of Rs 250 per square foot, which would mean Rs 60 lakh per acre. He was supported by businessman Madan Desai.

Jain explained that the government had paid a compensation of Rs 13.36 lakh per acre for the land acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board at Gamanagatti between Hubli and Dharwad, and the same would be recommended for the land to be acquired for airport expansion.

The residents whose properties will be acquired want the valuation of property to be done in a scientific manner. The residents had demanded fixation of the compensation at the rate of Rs 1,800 per square foot.

They said the present valuation did not match the market value and added that the evacuees needed to spend more on the building plan, permission and other expenses.