The union government has informed Rajya Sabha that the rehabilitation of the displaced families as a result of the Jewar airport project has been carried out according to the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

The Government of India (GoI) has granted ‘In-Principle’ approval to the Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the year 2018 for the setting up of Noida (Jewar) International Greenfield Airport.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, implementing the airport project, including funding, rests with the concerned airport developer, i.e. the UP government.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led UP government has allotted developed plots by creating a new sector equal to 50 per cent of the total inhabited area and has ensured that a minimum plot of 50 square meters is allotted to each displaced family.

As per the demand of the 3,074 displaced families, they have been allotted developed plots. The state government has provided necessary basic facilities and infrastructural facilities in the allotted plots.

The UP state government has acquired approximately 52 hectares of land to rehabilitate the displaced families and incurred an expenditure of Rs 716 crore.

The Yogi Adityanath government approved the Jewar airport project in December 2017. The concessionaire agreement between Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by Zurich international AG and Noida international airport was signed in October 2020.

Rs 29,650 crore airport will be developed, operated and maintained by the European company under a 40-year concession. The company plans to invest Rs 4,663 for this purpose in the first phase of the Jewar Airport project.

The first phase of the project has to be completed by 2023. However, the timeline, formulated before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, may see some changes.

When the first phase becomes operational, the Jewar International Airport will handle around 12 million passengers every year.