Jewar Airport: Villagers to be compensated in lieu of their lands from Feb

After acquiring land for the first phase of the Jewar airport, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Wednesday said it will begin disbursing compensation to villagers in lieu of their assets that were present on their land in February.

Rs 3,166 crore was disbursed for the acquisition of 1,334 hectares at Rohi, Dayanatpur, Kishorepur, Ranhera, Paarohi and Banwari Bans that was completed on January 27, officials said.

"The administration had on August 6, 2019 begun the acquisition of land for the Greenfield International airport and it has been completed in six months. It's record time for the acquisition of land for a project of this scale under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh told reporters.

He said the next step would be disbursing compensation to the affected families for assets like wells, submersibles and trees etc. on their acquired land and the process would begin next month.

"Rs 700 crore is to be disbursed among around 8,900 people. This process will begin in February and is expected to be completed in about a month and a half. The affected families have a choice of opting for a job or take Rs 5.50 lakh and depending on their choice, the money will be disbursed. All such transactions will be made via the electronic RTGS system straight into their accounts," Singh said.

Eventually, the administration has also earmarked 48 hectares at Jewar Bangar where a township will be developed for the families that have to be rehabilitated once the construction work of the airport begins.

Abhay Singh, project in-charge, Jewar airport, said around Rs 240 crore is estimated to be spent in the development of the land at Jewar Bangar.

The township will have developed plots, as mandated by the act, streets, light and water facility, post office and other civic amenities, he said.

According to officials, the first phase of theairportwill cost Rs 4,588 crore and it is expected to be completed by 2023.

The entire project will be spread over 5,000 hectares and is estimated to cost Rs 29,560 crore, they said.

Theairport, the third in the national capital region after Delhi's Indira Gandhi InternationalAirportand Ghaziabad's Hindonairport, is touted to have six to eight runways, the most in India, when fully built, the officials said.

Swiss firm Zurich Airport International AG had on November 29 emerged as the highest bidder to develop theJewar airport on the outskirts of Delhi, outbidding competitors like Adani Enterprises, DIAL and Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holding.