Maha Govt to Review Land Acquisition Compensation for Highway Projects

Nagpur: Farmers in Maharashtra may soon receive higher compensation for land acquired for national highway projects, with a final decision expected after a crucial meeting on April 2. Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced this in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, assuring that concerns over compensation discrepancies would be addressed.
The discussion arose during a debate on land acquisition issues related to the widening of National Highway 753L, which connects Borgaon Huzur to Muktainagar. Members of the Legislative Council, including Eknath Khadse, Parinay Fuke, Sadabhau Khot, and Bhavana Gawali, raised concerns about irregularities in the acquisition process and significant variations in compensation amounts.
Bawankule acknowledged discrepancies in compensation rates between the first and second phases of land acquisition for the project. "The first phase was completed in 2022, while the second phase began in 2023. We are currently reviewing the reasons behind the large gap in compensation between the two," he said.
Khadse emphasized the need for policy reforms and suggested that Maharashtra adopt Gujarat's "land pooling" model to ensure higher compensation for farmers while reducing government expenditure. The issue will be discussed in the April 2 meeting, where authorities will consider modifications to the existing land acquisition framework.
Lawmakers also called for a unified policy on land acquisition, highlighting inconsistencies in compensation across different highway projects. While some farmers received substantial payouts for the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway, others were given significantly lower amounts for the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway and the Nanded-Jalna corridor.
Bawankule assured that the state government is committed to correcting discrepancies and ensuring fair compensation for all affected landowners. "If flaws exist in the acquisition process, it is the state's responsibility to rectify them," he said.