Farmers who gave land for MTHL likely to get

Navi Mumbai: The High Court (HC) order to the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to grant compensation to project affected persons (PAPs) in the recently inaugurated Mumbai Trans – Harbour Link (MTHL) as per the 2014 laws is estimated to fetch landmark compensation for the acquired land.
Farmers affected have estimated to acquire approximately ₹50 lakh per guntha.
“In the Ulwe node itself CIDCO has auctioned their own lands at an astronomical amount of 1.70 cr per gunta. Even as per the current ready reckoner, the bare minimum rates for land in these areas is determined as 10 lakh per gunta. Yet CIDCO continues to acquire these prime lands at a paltry sum of ₹50,000 per Gunta by enforcing repealed 1894 act,” said one of the petitioners in the matter, a farmer Sandesh Thakur.
Over 7 hectares of land was acquired by CIDCO from farmers in Jasai village for the construction of the road in 2009.
“As per the 2014 land acquisition laws, CIDCO will now have to compensate the farmers 4 times of the ready recknor rate. The land on which MTHL has come is a prime location and in any case owing to the ongoing Navi Mumbai airport project land rates are shooting up so the revised amount to be disbursed to the farmers will be huge,” said advocate Rahul Thakur, representing the farmers.
The final award of the compensation was executed by CIDCO in 2015, almost a year later than the new land laws came into being. The delay paved the way for the farmers to challenge the entire compensation process with HC. On Tuesday the division bench of Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice MM Sathaye declared the earlier land acquisition to have lapsed. “CIDCO will now have to initiate a fresh acquisition process with compensation to be worked out as per the new land laws instead of the erroneous practice of enforcing the repealed laws,” added the advocate.
Thakur and other 22 petitioners are determined to acquire the right pricing for their lands. In a matter already in litigation with regard to the land acquisition for Navi Mumbai Airport similar conjectures are already being drawn. “Even in case of the land acquisition at the MTHL technically the land now belongs to us therefore CIDCO will have to pay rent for using our area. The order will also attract interest charges in arrears to the tune of 12 percent since the earlier award was issued and interest as 15 percent until new award is granted. Further as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, Farmers are also supposed to be provided 20 percent of developed plot as well which CIDCO will have to comply with,” adds the farmers.
CIDCO remained unavailable for comment.