JNPT signs MoU with CIDCO for Infra development for PAPs

Fishermen postpone strike

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) on Wednesday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for allotment of land under the 12.5 per cent scheme to JNPT Project Affected Persons (PAPs).

As per the MoU, JNPT will transfer over 111 hectares of its land to the state government for allotment of land to the PAPs and CIDCO has agreed for the PMC charges at 5 per cent of the project cost. The MoU states that JNPT would pay CIDCO, actual amount incurred by CIDCO towards cost of development of the said land. CIDCO has agreed to complete the entire work within 36 months.

In addition to the transferring the said 111 hectares of the JNPT land, CIDCO will develop the required amenities and infrastructure as per the finalised layout which will be allotted to the JNPT PAPs.

JNPT will release the funds in instalments based on actual utilisation certificate issued by CIDCO from time to time. It has also been agreed that till the infrastructure is handed over to local authority, CIDCO will be special planning authority for the area and the cost of maintenance of the infrastructure will be borne by CIDCO.

The fishermen of Sheva Village claimed that the port authority was misleading. Ramesh Koli, one of the aggrieved fishermen from PAPs families claimed, "The allotment of land is to the 12 villages that affected due to port development. However our resettlement issue does not come under this benefit." Meanwhile, he asserted that the strikes have been called-off after JNPT officials requested for more time.