645 hectare land to be acquired for Shirdi airport

Mumbai, Mar 17 (UNI) Maharashtra Government today told the Legislative Assembly that 645 hectare of land will be acquired for the proposed airport at the famed pilgrim town of Shirdi in Western Maharashtra.

The Government has identified the plot about 12 km away from the Saibaba temple and the acquisition will be done on priority basis.

The entire airport project would be completed in one and half years, Minister of state for Urban Development Rajesh Tope said during the Question Hour.

He said the earlier plot, about five km away from the temple, was mostly irrigated land and the proposal for land acquisition was dropped due to protests from farmers.

Intervening in the discussion, Chief MInister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who holds the Urban Development ministry, said the government would ensure that the farmers, who hand over their land to the government for public interest, are given hefty compensation.

UNI