Land pooling continues to be the preferred option among owners whose land is being acquired for the Aerotropolis project, with only a handful opting for cash compensation.
2,468 applications had been received through the online land acquisition service by 3 pm on Monday, according to the latest Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) data. Of these, 2,206 are currently under process, while 262 have been completed and closed. “Permission has been received to depute 10 revenue officials to take on the task of giving LOIs. From Tuesday, we are deputing more staff and all remaining LOIs will be issued in 15-20 days,” an official informed. As of September 21, 112 LOIs had been signed.
With a large number of applications still under process, a senior GMADA official said additional staff would be deployed to speed up the issuance of Letters of Intent.
To encourage landowners to participate in the pooling scheme, GMADA has introduced a faceless online application system through the PUDA portal, allowing applicants to submit land records, supporting documents and their preferred plot option without repeated visits to government offices. The Aerotropolis Residential Project, spread across Pockets E, F, G, H, I and J, is being developed as part of GMADA’s planned urban expansion around the Mohali airport. GMADA has also established seven to eight help desks to assist landowners unfamiliar with online procedures. A key facilitation centre is located at PUDA Bhawan. The portal uses e-Aadhaar and digitally issued land records for verification, with the aim of reducing paperwork and improving transparency. The project is expected to create a sizable planned residential development around the airport and is among GMADA’s major land development and acquisition exercises.
The land acquisition process involves a large tract of land, with awards for around 3,523 acres totalling ₹ 23,457 crore. The compensation works out to roughly ₹ 7-8 crore an acre, depending on the village. The system also provides information on different plot combinations and permits free amalgamation of plots up to 2,000 square yards.
In all, around 7,000 applications are expected as a substantial number of landowners are still expected to apply in the coming weeks, according to GMADA officials. An official said the remaining applicants were expected to submit their applications over the coming month, with the application window remaining open until November 17.
