Share land with workers: CM

MUMBAI, March 31: Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today said that owners of sick textiles mills in the city would not be permitted to sell or d...

MUMBAI, March 31: Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today said that owners of sick textiles mills in the city would not be permitted to sell or develop their surplus land as long the workers were not given their share. Joshi was replying to a question in the Legislative Assembly.

According to a proposal lying with the state government, which the CM said was being considered quot;seriously,quot; a mill owner would have to sell one fourth of his land to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, one-fourth to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, keep one-fourth with himself and give the remaining to the mill workers for free.

The Opposition members today wanted to know when the government would implement the recommendations of the Charles Correa Committee, which was set up to study city8217;s integrated development viz-a-viz the surplus mill land available in central Mumbai. Joshi said the committee8217;s report was being studied and that the Urban Development Department would amend the Development Controlrules, as suggested by Correa, only after studying the report. He said the revised DC rules would be applicable to the mills owned by the National Textile Corporation also. quot;But till such a time, no mill owner will be permitted to sell or develop the surplus land,quot; Joshi said.

He also added that after the amendment of DC rules the MHADA would be entitled to use its Transferable Development Rights TDR anywhere in the suburbs of Mumbai. Joshi said a committee, headed by the state Chief Secretary, will be constituted to monitor the deals connected mill land.

The Opposition had staged a walkout during the question hour in the Legislative Council on March 18 over the state government8217;s decision to regularise unauthorised constructions carried out by some textiles mills.

Leader of the Opposition, Chhagan Bhujbal, and his colleagues had refused to listen to the clarifications given by CM. The regularisation order covered Shriram Mills, Kamala Mills, Modern Mills, New Great Eastern Mills and SwanMills.

The Opposition had accused the government of favouring the mill owners over the workers. It was also alleged that the government had forfeited the amount to be recovered from the mill owners, who had allegedly violated the Development Control rules. Though the CM said that he would not revoke the regularisation order, he blamed the previous Congress government of having initiated the process. quot;It was the Congress government which had assured the mill owners that the illegal constructions would be regularised,quot; he had said once earlier. With today8217;s announcement, it is now clear that the workers would benefit from the sale of mill land was cleared.