Puri airport: 221 acres of land to be acquired, compensation measures ready

The Odisha government is set to acquire 221 acres of land in the Sipasarubali and Sandhapur areas under Brahmagiri tehsil for the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri. The initiative is part of a larger plan to develop a greenfield airport spanning 1,164 acres. 

Public Hearings Scheduled

In a notification issued on Monday, Puri Sub-Collector Rajkishore Jena announced that public hearings for the land acquisition have been scheduled. The first hearing for Sipasarubali is on March 21 at the village field, and the second for Sandhapur is on March 28 at the Kalyan Mandap in the village.

Sources stated that these sessions aim to address concerns and provide information about the land acquisition process as well as detail the administration's compensation packages to the affected persons.

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Comprehensive Compensation Package

The rehabilitation package for affected families includes several financial aids:

1. Displacement Allowance: Rs 5 lakh per displaced family.

2. Housing Assistance: Over Rs 3.39 lakh for constructing a new house.

3. Relocation Support: Rs 1.13 lakh for transportation and shifting of household materials.

4. Livelihood Assistance: Rs 54,300 to support livelihood for a year.

5. Business Support: Rs 25,000 to establish shops.

These measures align with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, ensuring fair compensation and support for affected families. 

Environmental Clearances and Assessments

The project has received approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to convert 25 acres of forest land for airport use. Additionally, a socio-economic impact assessment has been conducted to evaluate the project's implications on the local community.

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Background and Progress

The concept of an international airport in Puri gained momentum in 2021 when then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik proposed the idea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and by October 2023, the Ministry of Civil Aviation granted site clearance for the project.

Notably, the airport is planned to be developed in three phases at an estimated cost of Rs 5,631 crore. Further, major infrastructure firms like the Fairfax Group, Adani Group, and GMR Group have shown interest in developing the Shree Jagannath International Airport, poised to enhance connectivity to Puri, benefiting tourism and the local economy.