Third Mumbai (KSC New Town): Land Acquisition — Model, Compensation Rates, Villages and Current Status

What is being acquired, and by whom

Government of Maharashtra, by notification dated 15th October 2024, has appointed MMRDA as New Town Development Authority (NTDA) for 124 villages in Uran, Panvel and Pen Tehsil in Raigad District of Maharashtra, an area named K.S.C. New Town comprising 323.44 sq.km. On 21 October 2024, MMRDA officially named the city Karnala-Sai-Chirner New Town, after the villages Karnala, Sai and Chirner, shortened to KSC New Town.

Under the government resolution, MMRDA prepares detailed planning proposals and development regulations for the notified area, and has been granted land acquisition powers with a requirement to allocate budget provisions for the process. The New Town is being planned by MMRDA primarily on the framework of CIDCO's Navi Mumbai development model.

Villages covered

The new town covers 324 sq km and comprises 124 villages, with 80 under Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), 33 under the Khopta New Town Notified Area, two under the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Plan, and nine under the Raigad Regional Plan.

By taluka, one MMRDA-linked source gives a different cut of the same 124-village set: administrative boundaries of 88 villages from Pen taluka, 29 villages from Uran taluka and 7 villages from Panvel taluka. (The two breakdowns classify villages by originating planning notification and by taluka respectively; both are reported to total 124 villages.)

Key named villages include the three the city is named after — Karnala, known for the Karnala Bird Sanctuary and fort; Sai, in the Western Ghats; and Chirner, near JNPT. Other villages named in MMRDA-linked listings include Dighode, Kanthavali, Veshvi and others, and, in the Uran taluka list, Antrabamdakhar, Bhom, Bori Bk, Borichakotha, Chikhlibhom, Chirner, Harishchandra Pimpale, Jui, Juipunade, Kalambusare, Punade, Taki, Vindhane, Aware, Bandhpada, Dhasakhosi, Govthane, Kacherpada, Kadape, Koproli, Pale, Pirkone, Sangpalekhar, Sarde, Talbandkhar and Vasheni, plus in Panvel taluka Kelavane, Dighati, Sai, Barapada, Dolghar, Karnala and Kasar Bhat. Six villages — Karnala-Tara, Barapada, Dighati, Sai, Kasarbhat and Dolghar — are reported to already have sanctioned development plans, ahead of the rest.

Acquisition model: consent-first, with a 22.5% land-return core

The MMRDA's Land Acquisition and Allocation Policy moves away from purely compulsory acquisition toward a 'partnership' model: following the CIDCO precedent used in Navi Mumbai, consenting landowners get back 22.5% of their land as developed plots, pre-fitted with roads, electricity, water and sewerage. CIDCO used this 22.5% model in Navi Mumbai projects such as Ulwe Sectors 27 & 28, compensating landowners in villages like Chirle, Belondhakar, Jabulpada, Chaje, Paundkhar and Gavthan with developed plots in new sectors.

Three separate options are on offer under the policy: the first route allows land to be acquired on mutual consent, with compensation finalised through agreement. For those not opting for land pooling, the GR provides other avenues, including direct cash compensation as per the LARR Act, 2013 at prevailing market rates. Other routes referenced in reporting include compensation via Floor Space Index (FSI) and Transferable Development Rights (TDR). The policy also includes a pass-through provision letting industries begin operations on an 'as-is-where-is' basis while infrastructure develops, so the region can attract businesses before full infrastructure completion.

Forest land is excluded from the GR, and disputes over village boundaries and forest classification are flagged as a likely source of localized delay.

Budget allocated

Under MMRDA's record ₹48,073 crore budget for 2026–27, the authority has allocated ₹4,000 crore for the development of Karnala-Sai-Chirner Town. Total infrastructure outlay is put at ₹48,072.5 crore, with 87% directed to infrastructure works. MMRDA plans to fund this through land monetisation and debt: around ₹11,177 crore is expected from land assets, while borrowings may cross ₹23,000 crore. Separately, MMRDA has stated it expects to generate around ₹11,000 crore in revenue through land monetisation for funding capital-intensive infrastructure projects. No village-wise or per-hectare acquisition budget figure has been published in reporting reviewed for this page.

Disputes and farmer negotiations

Opposition to the compensation policy has been led by the Parivartan Gaothan Vikas Social Organization, whose president Kiran Patil wrote to the Chief Minister calling the policy "unjust and anti-farmer," and warned that failure to conduct proper village demarcation could lead to resistance similar to that seen in CIDCO and NAINA project areas. Activists say the policy lacks clarity on plots, excludes monetary compensation as a default, and may hurt livelihoods, and have urged a review while warning of protests if concerns are not addressed.

The organisation has demanded the acquisition be carried out under the 2013 LARR Act, which mandates a social impact assessment prior to acquisition, ensures higher compensation, and provides rehabilitation and resettlement benefits including additional developed land and legal safeguards. Activist Ulka Mahajan has also criticised the government's approach, and farmer representative Rupesh Patil has cautioned peers against selling land under the current terms.

By June 2026, hundreds of farmers and residents from the 124 villages had pledged, at a public convention organised by the MMRDA KSC Navnagar Virodhi Samiti, not to surrender their land and to continue opposition through legal and democratic means. This came even as the state moved ahead by appointing a master-plan consultant, with the pace of development going forward dependent on policy implementation, land acquisition processes and stakeholder engagement.

Current stage (as of August 2026)

The Government of Maharashtra approved the Land Acquisition and Land Allocation policy for the NTDA vide Government Resolution dated 16 March 2026. MMRDA subsequently began the land acquisition process, inviting landowners across the 124 villages to submit consent for surrendering land parcels, with online consent forms available from 27 April 2026.

Ahead of this, the comprehensive master plan for KSC New Town was targeted for completion by August 2026, following six to eight months of aerial and ground studies. Drone-based mapping and LiDAR surveys across the notified area are reported complete.

As of this writing, MMRDA's own project page confirms the policy and consent-form stage without reporting any figure for consent forms received, land physically handed over from farmers, or compensation actually paid out — the process remains, per available reporting, at the consent-collection and master-planning stage, running in parallel with organised farmer opposition. No RERA registration, land-handover completion figures, or per-village acquisition progress numbers were found in current reporting.