131 hectares of land acquired for Baramati-Phaltan-Lonand railway project

The Pune district administration has acquired 131 hectares of land out of 173 hectares for the Baramati-Phaltan-Lonand railway project. The remaining 40 hectares of land acquisition is in jeopardy due to opposition by the locals.

The new Baramati-Phaltan-Lonand single-track route is 63.65 kilometres long, with 37.20 kilometres passing through the Baramati taluka. The stretch in Baramati and Lonand is currently in the process of land acquisition.

The 131 hectares of land were acquired in the last three months by the district administration.

“Around 121 hectares of land has been currently acquired and in a few days, 9.38 hectares of land will be purchased. Then the land acquisition of 40 hectares will remain,” said an official from Phaltan on the request of anonymity.

District collector Rajesh Deshmukh said,” In the last three months, the district administration has acquired 131 hectares of land for the Baramati-Phaltan-Lonand railway project. As a result of local opposition to the project, only 40 hectares of land remain to be acquired. We have submitted a proposal to the railway administration for compulsory land acquisition.”

For the Railway project, private land was acquired in 12 villages of Baramati taluka, namely Latte, Malwadi, Kurnewadi, Khamgalwadi, Barhanpur, Netpatwalan, Sonakswadi, Dhakale, Thoptewadi, Karhavagaj, Sawantwadi, and Tandulwadi.

The rates of land have been set by a committee chaired by the collector. In addition to the 12 villages, MIDC land in Katphal will be transferred for the project.

The administration has submitted an application to the Baramati forest department for the 7.5 hectares of land in the Baramati taluka.

“The forest land will be soon handed to the district administration,” the official said.

The Railway department has contributed approximately ₹115 crores to the project.

The land acquisition work was supposed to be finished by September 2022, but it was delayed because the villagers were not ready to submit the land.

“The work of acquiring land slowed because locals in many villages were not ready to submit the land,” the official added.