No Funds for Purandar Airport in State Budget, Land Acquisition Still on Cards
Purandar Airport Land Row: Villagers Demand ₹10 Crore per Acre, Jobs, and Plots with 5 FSI
The Purandar airport project in Pune district received no financial allocation in the Maharashtra state Budget presented on Monday. This surprised many, especially as the government announced plans for another airport near the Vadhavan port, which will be Mumbai’s third airport.
According to Times of India, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the budget and mentioned the Navi Mumbai International Airport at Ulwe, is expected to begin operations in April. Other airports, such as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur, and airports in Shirdi, Belora, Ratnagiri, Gadchiroli, and Akola also found space in the Budget speech. However, there was no mention of the Purandar airport project. A senior official from the state finance department confirmed there is no budget allocation for it.
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), which is handling the project, had earlier said it did not expect any financial allocation in the state budget. The estimated cost of land acquisition alone is between Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 8,000 crore.
Despite the funding gap, MIDC is expected to issue a land acquisition notification soon. The proposed airport will cover 2,800 hectares across seven villages.
The state government is focusing on welfare schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana and has limited funds for new projects. MIDC officials are exploring alternative financing through banking consortiums, private institutions, and public sector undertakings. However, land acquisition faces challenges. Many farmers are unwilling to give up their land.
