Kangra airport expansion gains pace, Rs 2,300 crore land compensation disbursed

Spread the news

Kangra , August 13

The land acquisition process for the expansion of Kangra Airport has gathered pace, with around Rs 2,300 crore already distributed to affected landowners as compensation, while the administration is working to complete the remaining rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) awards.

Dr Anjali Garg said land acquisition for the airport expansion involves payment of land compensation as well as R&R assistance to affected families. She said around Rs 2,300 crore had so far been disbursed as land compensation, while nearly Rs 293 crore was still pending.

She said the pending compensation was mainly due to cases in court, disputed claims, and instances where multiple people had claims over the same piece of land.

Under the R&R component, around Rs 170 crore has also been distributed to affected families, Garg said. She added that the expansion has affected 14 mahals, of which R&R awards for 10 have already been completed.

The SDM said that when she assumed charge, R&R awards had been completed for seven mahals. Since then, awards for three additional mahals have been finalized.

The administration has now accelerated the process for the remaining mahals and has set a target of completing their R&R awards between August 15 and 20.

Officials said the progress in land acquisition, compensation and R&R awards is an important step towards ensuring timely rehabilitation and resettlement of families affected by the Kangra Airport expansion project.