India News | Maha Govt Decides to Temporarily Suspend Betterment Charges for NAINA Project in Navi Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has decided to suspend the "betterment" charges being recovered from farmers in the NAINA project in Navi Mumbai for time being, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

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The issue of development charges being recovered from the project affected farmers had become a major bone of contention in 152 villages located near the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport.

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Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) was proposed in 2013 and the project gathered momentum when BJP was in power from 2014 to 19.

The project is aimed at residential and commercial development of the area located near the upcoming greenfield international airport.

A question regarding the development charges was raised in the Upper House by Peasants and Workers' Party member Jayant Patil on Wednesday.

"We are against the NAINA project because CIDCO is implementing it. CIDCO is not investing money but is putting several restrictions on farmers who own the land. Farmers are faced with exorbitant development and betterment charges, which were highest compared to other departments that are undertaking a planned development," he said.

Patil's demand was supported by another legislator Balaram Patil.

Shinde said, "I admit that there are some loopholes and errors in implementing the NAINA project. The state wants to develop the area on the lines of CIDCO developing Navi Mumbai. The state would not collect betterment charges for the time being from farmers".

Later speaking to PTI, Jayant Patil said, "CIDCO has decided to keep 60 per cent of the NAINA land with itself while giving back 40 per cent land to farmers. It is unjustified. The FSI in NAINA is merely 0.5 per cent while under MSRDC, it is 1.1 per cent."

Patil said that farmers are ready to comply with NAINA's planning but they want the land development rights to be allotted to them and not held by the government.

"We are ready to develop our land as per the government's designs," the MLC added.

Balaram Patil said that the NAINA project has put huge restrictions on farmers on how to use their land.

"The state government has agreed to give agrarian certificates to farmers so that their descendants can also buy agricultural land. It is a big development for farmers," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)