Aurangabad: The proposed Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory ( LIGO ) is all set to receive special project status soon. The centre will be set up near Aundha-Nagnath in Hingoli district, around 200km from the city.The important status, if granted, will facilitate the flow of funds for land acquisition and other formalities, apart from ensuring effective coordination between the Centre and the state.Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Sekhar Basu, who is also secretary to the Centre's department of atomic energy, recently established correspondence with the state and proposed special project status for the upcoming facility.The project is expected to attract the scientific community from around the world. It will also be a hotbed for students in terms of research opportunities on gravitational radiation. It will stress on the study of radiation and its uses to observe astrophysical universe and also to develop technical and scientific capabilities in various scientific fields, Basu's correspondence reads.Based on the AEC letter, the state revenue department asked the Hingoli district administration to submit in writing the different benefits of LIGO, along with its remarks.Hingoli district deputy collector Khudabaksh Tadvi said on Monday that necessary feedback has been submitted to the government, along with positive remarks according LIGO the status of special project. "LIGO-India will be immensely beneficial for the district, the Marathwada region, the state and the country as a whole. It is a privilege for Hingoli district to host a facility of international repute," he said.Tadvi said the special project status would further expedite different processes, including land acquisition associated with the setting up of the proposed facility.Around 173.25 hectare land is needed for the project. This also includes over 45 hectare of private land owned by farmers and others. While no official deadline was announced for setting up the project, the proposed special status is expected to speed up establishing the project."The option of direct purchase scheme through private negotiations has been made available to locals as a part of the land acquisition process. As competitive prices are being offered towards land compensation, we do not foresee any hurdles in getting hold of the land. The major chunk of the remaining land belongs to the government only," Tadvi said.He said the Hingoli district administration would invoke provisions of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 while taking possession of private land to ensure best possible compensation to land holders.LIGO-India will be a state-of-the-art gravitational wave observatory in collaboration with the LIGO laboratory in the US. Once it comes up, it will be a third-of-its-kind laboratory in the world and first outside the US. The existing two laboratories are in Hanford in Washington and Livingston in Louisiana.According to the earlier communication from the department of atomic energy, no construction activity is preferred within the periphery of 5km of the identified site in Aundha-Nagnath taluka. Apart from this, different restrictions on mining and passage of highways, railway line and air flights among other activities have also been imposed.The ministry of railways in July last year had granted special status to the 261km Ahmednagar-Beed-Parli-Vaijnath new railway line passing through parts of Marathwada. The project is believed to have gained momentum over the past one year after getting crucial status.

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