Vaijapur MIDC stuck in legal wrangle for 25 years

Chaatrapati Sambhajinagar

Announced 25 years ago to promote industrialisation in rural areas, the proposed Vaijapur MIDC remains only on paper. The state acquired 436 hectares for the project, but a dispute over compensation between landowners and MIDC stalled progress. Farmers took the matter to court, and the case has been pending ever since.

With Waluj, Shendra five-star estate, and Auric City running at full capacity and employing nearly 4 lakh people, the Vaijapur estate was expected to boost Marathwada’s economy further. The government’s rural MIDC scheme had approved Vaijapur for development, issuing a notification for land acquisition. Located just 5 km from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Nashik highway, close to Rotegaon railway station and the Samruddhi Expressway, the site offers easy access to Mumbai’s JNPT and Vadhavan ports ideal for exports. Yet, despite its strategic location, the project remains mired in litigation. Sources said MIDC offered compensation directly to farmers on the condition they withdraw court cases. The farmers refused, bringing talks to a standstill.