Kolkata, Aug 28 (IANS) The West Bengal government Thursday finalised the rehabilitation package for people who would be displaced by the Durgapur aerotropolis project, a top official said here. “The rehabilitation and resettlement package was determined by consensus after numerous meetings with concerned area representatives as well as representatives of all political parties,” Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb told reporters at the state Secretariat Writers’ Building.

The aerotropolis project is being developed by a special purpose company, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL).

BAPL has entered into a joint venture development agreement with West Bengal Industrial Development Corp Ltd (WBIDC), for developing the project that includes an airport, an industrial zone including an IT park and a township in the Durgapur-Asansol region of Bardhaman district.

It would be spread over 2,300 acres, of which the airport would cover 650 acres.

The compensation package is designed to cater to the aspirations of the entire cross section of land givers or land dependants, he said.

In addition to a consensus-driven land cost compensation, land givers would also be eligible for specially designed additional compensation packages. These would include land for land in order to safeguard the long-term interest of land givers.

Vocational training would be imparted to one member per family of land givers. Land givers would also be accorded priority in providing various services in the newly created township within the project areas, Chief Secretary Deb said.

“Bargadaars and landless labourers would be compensated as per applicable government norms,” he added.

As a part of its corporate social responsibility, the project company would undertake programmes to provide appropriate sanitation, healthcare and educational capacity building through specialised agencies in the immediate project catchment.

A special package has been evolved for those parting with homestead land (in the second phase of 1,200 acres of the project). They will be given developed land, including constructed dwellings, at the lowest end of eligibility, in addition to a special land cost.

Singapore’s Changi Airports International has signed an agreement with the developers of this project.

Under the “technical services agreement”, Changi would play a key role in preparing the master plan for the airport and provide technical knowhow for its management and operations.