The Punjab Government on Monday announced the highest-ever land compensation award in the state’s urban development history – a whopping Rs 8.29 crore per acre.A total payout of Rs 23,457 crore was announced for the compulsory acquisition of 3,522.98 acres of land across eight villages to develop six new sectors of the Aerotropolis residential project near Chandigarh international airport in Mohali amid a fizzled out farmers’ protest call, award notifications exclusively accessed by The Tribune reveal.The awards were announced by Land Acquisition Collector Rohit Jindal in the presence of farmers and landowners at the GMADA office in Mohali. The announcement covers Aerotropolis Pockets E, F, G, H, I and J across the villages of Kurdi, Patton, Siaun, Bari, Matran, Bakarpur, Chatt and Kishanpura, all falling within the Mohali acquisition belt close to Chandigarh international airport, IT City and the already-developed Aerocity.Government officials confirmed that this was the highest-ever land compensation award announced for any urban development project in Punjab. The previous highest was Rs 6.46 crore per acre for Eco City-3 in New Chandigarh and Rs 6.24 crore per acre for the low density/high density township, also in New Chandigarh, both announced in December last and March this year, respectively, as exclusively reported by The Tribune.The per-acre compensation in Monday’s awards ranges from Rs 6.28 crore per acre for Kurdi, Chatt and Kishanpura villages to Rs 8.29 crore per acre for Matran — the single highest per-acre award announced in the state’s urban land acquisition history. Bakarpur village is awarded Rs 8.22 crore per acre, the second highest, followed by Siaun at Rs 7.32 crore per acre, Bari at Rs 7.18 crore per acre, and Patton at Rs 7.06 crore per acre.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said: “Our government’s commitment to farmers is not a slogan — it is a number. Today’s award of Rs 8.29 crore per acre is the highest this state has ever paid for land, and it is our firm answer to every farmer who asked whether we would value their land fairly. We will pay the maximum that the law and the market allow, and we will keep raising the bar. Our kisans are not obstacles to development — they are its foundation, and today’s award proves it.”Record award, record scaleMonday’s Rs 23,457 crore award is also the largest single-day land compensation announcement in the state’s history by total quantum, covering 3,522.98 acres across eight villages in a single sitting. In monetary terms it is nearly four times the Rs 6,069 crore collectively declared in the three previous awards — for Eco City-3 (Rs 3,690.32 crore for 716 acres), Aerotropolis Blocks A, B, C and D (Rs 446.22 crore for 206.39 acres), and the Low/High Density township (Rs 1,932.38 crore for 309.30 acres) — combined.With Monday’s announcement, Punjab has now declared compensation awards covering 4,753.98 acres across the ongoing 11,103-acre acquisition drive in Greater Mohali and New Chandigarh, with total declared compensation crossing Rs 29,526 crore.