The Maharashtra government has approved land acquisition for the proposed greenfield airport in Gadchiroli, a project strongly backed by Devendra Fadnavis, who also serves as the guardian minister of the district. The approval marks a significant step toward improving air connectivity in one of eastern Maharashtra’s most underserved regions. Officials believe the airport could become an important infrastructure catalyst for economic growth and regional development in the coming years.
The project will require acquisition of 311.81 hectares of land spread across Shirapur Chak, Guruwala, Hirapur and Rakhi villages. The land includes government-owned areas, private property and forest land. The proposal was submitted by Maharashtra Airport Development Company and was cleared by the empowered committee chaired by the state chief secretary during a meeting held on May 8. A formal government resolution was later issued by the General Administration Department.
According to the official order, the government has sanctioned INR 76.99 crore for acquisition of 245.75 hectares of private land. In addition, INR 10.07 crore has been allocated for diversion of 34.68 hectares of forest land required for the airport project. The total approved expenditure stands at INR 87.07 crore, including compensation provisions and administrative costs linked to implementation of the acquisition process under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
The expenditure also includes project implementation charges and an estimated 10 percent escalation in future project costs. Officials stated that the financial planning was prepared to avoid delays during execution and compensation procedures. The government has additionally approved transfer of 31.38 hectares of land free of cost to the Maharashtra Airport Development Company for smooth implementation of the airport project.
The state government has formally designated the Maharashtra Airport Development Company as the land acquisition and implementation authority for the proposed airport. At the same time, the Gadchiroli collector has been empowered to function as the acquisition officer for the project. The latest order also cancels an earlier government resolution issued in December 2024 concerning land acquisition in Murkhala, Pulkhal and Kaneri villages linked to the same airport proposal.
The proposed airport is expected to significantly improve regional connectivity in Gadchiroli, which has historically remained geographically isolated despite increasing industrial and infrastructure investments in recent years. The project aligns with Maharashtra’s broader strategy to expand aviation infrastructure into emerging and underserved districts. Experts believe better connectivity could support tourism, mining, logistics, trade and employment opportunities across eastern Maharashtra in the long term.