Nagpur: The ambitious MIHAN project at Nagpur aimed at Vidarbha’s development is set to gain momentum. The State Government approved a fund of Rs 3,994.41 crore for this project on Monday. The MIHAN project was first recognized by the State Government on January 4, 2002, and Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) was established as the nodal agency for its implementation.
In January 2008, the Central Government gave its approval to the project. MADC has faced numerous challenges in completing the MIHAN project, including land acquisition, rehabilitation, technical work, and resolving land acquisition claims, which are still pending. The government has periodically allocated funds for this. With the approved Rs 3,994.41 crore, long-pending development work in the rehabilitated villages is expected to pick up pace.
This fund will be used for various works such as building internal roads, drainage systems, electrification, and water supply schemes in the villages. Land acquisition for the MIHAN project has been completed in Shivangaon, and rehabilitation work is underway in Chinchbhuwan. Nearly 90% of the families have already been relocated to new homes in Chinchbhuwan, with the process ongoing for the remaining families. It is said that the above fund will be utilized for this purpose.
Periodic allocation of funds
The government has periodically allocated funds for land acquisition, rehabilitation, technical work, and settling land acquisition claims. Prior to this, Rs 81 crore was allocated in 2023, Rs 39 crore for rehabilitation in 2022, Rs 992 crore in 2019, and Rs 60 crore in 2014. This fund has been used for land acquisition, rehabilitation, and a 12.5% compensation grant for the MIHAN project, road construction to reach the Air Force station in Jaitala, and settling claims under sections 18 and 28 of the Civil Court
The current status of the MIHAN project is that its development and implementation are ongoing, but it has not been fully completed yet due to several challenges.
Land acquisition and rehabilitation: The land acquisition for Shivangaon has been completed, and rehabilitation work is underway in Chinchbhuwan. Around 90% of the families have been relocated to new homes, while the transfer of the remaining families is still in progress.
Development Work: With the new funds approved by the government, the pending development works in the villages, such as the construction of internal roads, drainage systems, electrification, and water supply schemes, will be completed. These works were delayed, but the new funds are expected to accelerate them.
Technical and legal challenges: Issues like settling land acquisition claims, completing technical tasks, and overcoming other administrative and legal hurdles have slowed the progress of the project. However, the government has been periodically allocating funds to address these challenges.
The goal of this project is to promote industrial and economic development in the Vidarbha region, and efforts are being made to accelerate infrastructure development and complete rehabilitation tasks.