MOHALI: The Aerotropolis project in Mohali is gaining new momentum as the Punjab government has announced a social impact assessment (SIA) for acquiring 3,553 acres of land in Blocks E to J. This township will extend the already-developed Aerocity near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport and is being facilitated by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
The official notification from Vikas Garg, principal secretary of the housing and urban development department, mandates the SIA under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. This assessment will examine the social, cultural, and economic impacts of land acquisition on local communities.
A senior officer involved confirmed that the SIA process is expected to allow land acquisition to be finalized by the end of the year. The government has opted for the 2021 land pooling policy instead of cash compensation, which means landowners will receive 1,000 square yards of developed residential plots and 200 square yards of commercial plots for every acre taken.
This represents a policy change just two months after the government retracted its revised land pooling scheme, reverting to an earlier model that exchanges farmland for physical assets. Simultaneously, GMADA has issued tenders worth Rs 509 crore for the development of 1,600 acres in Blocks B, C, and D. The acquisition for these blocks occurred nearly eight years ago, and landowners have already received Letters of Intent (LoIs).
However, Block A remains entangled in legal disputes due to the infamous guava orchard scam exposed in May 2023, which implicated nearly 100 individuals, including over a dozen government officials, in manipulating records for fraudulent claims. The housing department reportedly incurred losses of about Rs 140 crore, as over 90% of the disputed land was actually under wheat and paddy cultivation.
The government has prioritized this project since June 2022, when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann approved it. In June, the CM instructed GMADA to expedite progress, highlighting its significance as a leading urban development initiative for the region.
