A day after announcing compensation awards worth ₹23,457 crore for the acquisition of 3,522.98 acres under the Aerotropolis expansion project, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) is set to begin the land pooling process through a fully online and faceless system aimed at ensuring transparency and eliminating any scope for bias.Authority to launch faceless online land pooling process within a week. (HT File)Land acquisition collector, GMADA, Rohit Jindal, said the digital portal is expected to go live within a week, allowing eligible landowners from eight villages to exercise their option between cash compensation and land pooling without visiting GMADA offices. To ensure impartial processing, applications will be anonymised, with officials evaluating only unique application IDs instead of applicants’ names or personal details.The authority believes the faceless mechanism will prevent any bias in scrutiny and make the process faster and more transparent. Applicants opting for land pooling will be able to submit documents, track the status of their applications and receive updates online. The move is in line with GMADA’s efforts to digitise land acquisition and pooling procedures. Jindal said Monday’s declaration of compensation awards worth ₹23,457 crore is the largest single-day compensation award ever announced by GMADA. Among the eight villages covered, Matran recorded the highest compensation rate at ₹8.28 crore per acre, followed by Bakarpur at ₹ 8.22 crore per acre, Siaun at ₹7.32 crore per acre, Bari at ₹7.19 crore per acre,Kurdi and Kishanpura at ₹6.29 crore per acre, and Chatt at ₹6.28 crore per acre. Kurdi accounts for the largest land acquisition at nearly 1,396 acres, attracting compensation of about ₹8,779 crore.The latest awards also surpass compensation rates seen in previous acquisitions. During land acquisition for Eco City, the highest compensation reached around ₹6.46 crore per acre in one of the villages. Similarly, the low density project in New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) saw the highest award touch ₹6.24 crore per acre, making the Aerotropolis awards the highest compensation rates announced by the authority so far. Experts say the compensation awards are on the higher side because the acquired land is earmarked for commercial development.With acquisition proceedings for Eco City-4 also underway, officials indicated that compensation there is also expected to exceed the rates awarded in earlier Eco City phases. They explained that compensation is generally calculated under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, with the market value being determined primarily on the basis of recent registered sale deeds in the area, typically considering the last three comparable registrations, along with statutory benefits prescribed under the Act.Revised Land Pooling Policy to offer greater benefits for GMADA landowners (Box or sub-head)The Punjab government’s revised Land Pooling Policy, notified on July 6, is expected to provide enhanced benefits to landowners whose land is acquired for GMADA projects while encouraging greater participation in planned urban development. The amended policy increases residential entitlement from 1,600 to 1,630 square yards per acre or offers an alternative of 1,000 square yards of residential land along with a 210-square-yard commercial plot. Commercial entitlement has also been enhanced from 800 to 840 square yards per acre. Owners of fractional landholdings will now receive tradable special letters of intent (LOIs), enabling them to claim proportional benefits. These LOIs will be tradable and can later be converted into regular plot entitlements after accumulating the required area. The provision has also been extended to Eco City-3 and the low-density and high-density projects.The policy also introduces Sahuliyat Certificates, allowing exemption from stamp duty on allotted plots or equivalent benefits on land purchases elsewhere in Punjab, besides priority for a tubewell electricity connection. The amendments also ensure preferential residential plot allotment to all eligible landowners under the revised Oustee Policy, irrespective of whether they opt for cash compensation or land pooling.