Chavan replies to Milinds concerns

There are about 1.48 lakh mill workers and about 6,948 houses are ready and built by MHADA

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Two days after South Mumbai MP Milind Deora criticised the poor pace of decision-making on key infrastructure projects in Mumbai,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavans office on Friday issued a statement about the progress of various projects,stating that impetus has been given to projects of larger public interest and critical decisions taken in the past 18 months.

The Taraporewala Aquarium,whose delayed makeover apparently prompted Deora to tweet on Wednesday about a decision deficit in Maharashtra,has been granted FSI of 4 and fresh tenders invited with a view to model the makeover on the lines of the Singapore Aquarium,the statement said.

The issue of housing for mill workers,another issue that Deora mentioned in his tweet,has to be resolved in a realistic manner owing to limited land availability,the statement issued by the Chief Ministers publicity department said.

There are about 1.48 lakh mill workers and about 6,948 houses are ready and built by MHADA. They would be distributed among mill workers on a lottery basis on a no-profit,no-loss basis and mill-wise at a cost of Rs 4.81 lakhs for 170 houses at Kurla and Rs 8.34 lakhs for the remaining, the statement said. The statement did not make a mention of opposition parties demand for a further reduction in the flats prices,but said the Chief Minister has formed a committee to look into the possibility of making available land in other districts.

Regarding cluster redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings for which only five projects have been given the final go-ahead,the release said the government has decided to go strictly by rules and regulations and is therefore scrutinising each of the projects recommended by the high-powered committee.

On the Navi Mumbai International Airport,the statement says the draft Request for Qualification document was presented to the Steering Committee in New Delhi in January this year and last month,the Civil Aviation Ministry was approached to bring the airport under the Greenfield Airport Policy 2008. On receipt of the approval,the bidding process will be commenced, the statement said.

The multi-crore Dharavi Redevelopment Project was admittedly delayed after being announced in 2004,the statement says. Now,there is clarity and it should bring relief to over 60,000 families residing here. Chief Minister Chavan is personally monitoring the progress of this project, it said.