Navi Mumbai: In a significant legal move, five villages under the Chipale Group Gram Panchayat in Panvel taluka have filed a comprehensive petition against the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project in the Bombay High Court.

The petition, submitted on February 27, challenges the land acquisition model of the project and demands its cancellation, citing concerns over farmers’ rights and unauthorized land acquisition.

“The NAINA urban planning scheme, implemented in 23 villages in eastern Panvel, was introduced by the Maharashtra government in 2013, appointing CIDCO as the Special Planning Authority (SPA). Under this scheme, 60 percent of farmers' land is acquired without compensation, with only 40 percent remaining under their ownership. Farmers and village representatives have opposed the scheme for the last 12 years, terming it a land-grabbing initiative. As a result, Gram Panchayats in all 23 villages have passed resolutions rejecting NAINA,” Vilas Phadke, former Zilla Parishad member and also the petitioner in the case, said.

While emphasizing that they are not against development, farmers and local leaders have demanded that land acquisition be carried out under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act to ensure fair compensation. They have also requested the inclusion of affected villages into the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) instead of CIDCO’s NAINA project. Additionally, they have called for the regularization of all houses located outside the Gaothan (village settlement) limits.

“Despite long-standing opposition, no legal action had been taken against NAINA until now. Hence I took the lead in filing the petition on behalf of Chipale, Vihighar, Bhokarpada, Bonshat, and Koproli villages,” Phadke added.

The petition highlights several key concerns, stating that NAINA is a large-scale land scam designed to benefit builders while restricting farmers' rights. It also argues that the project violates the powers of Gram Panchayats as enshrined in the 73rd Constitutional Amendment and that the scheme lacks public benefit, making its cancellation necessary.

This legal action has sparked hope among villagers, and other affected villages are now preparing to approach the Mumbai High Court to challenge NAINA under similar grounds, said Phadke.

The petition was filed under the legal guidance of senior advocate Sunip Sen, with advocates Prabhakar Jadhav and Vijay Gadge leading the case. Former Justice B.G. Kolse Patil provided legal counsel, while former IRS and currently a social worker Sudhakar Patil played a crucial role in the proceedings.

Additionally, key village representatives Balaram Phadke, Gajanan Patil, Baban Phadke, Dhananjay Patil, Raj Patil, Ramchandra Phulore, and advocate Rajendra Madhavi actively contributed to the legal process.