Land locked, mill workers search for home in Maharashtra
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had appointed a committee to finalise eligibility norms for rehabilitation of displaced mill-land workers and also to decide on the cost of construction to be charged to eligible claimants for free housing on mill ...
By Girish Kuber, TNN |
MUMBAI: A ‘high-power’ panel, comprising chief secretary Johny Joseph and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) head T Chandrashekhar and other seniors, was meant to find a speedy solution to two issues pertaining to mill land in Mumbai. Eight months after it was formed, it is still groping in the dark.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had appointed the special high-power committee in March this year to finalise eligibility norms for rehabilitation of displaced mill-land workers and also to decide on the cost of construction to be charged to eligible claimants for free housing on mill land.
The committee had DK Sankaran, the then chief secretary, as its head along with other top bureaucrats such as principal secretaries of Textile and Urban Land Development Ministry, Mumbai’s municipal commissioner and the MHADA chief. Mr Joseph joined the committee as the then BMC commissioner and went on to head it after he was appointed as the chief secretary. The MHADA, too, had a new head in Mr Chandrashekhar. This, however, had hardly any impact on the committee’s functioning.
“The idea was to get norms cleared by the committee so as to help the government launch housing schemes for mill workers as promised. The committee, however, has not gone any further,” a top functionary of the state government told ET.
“The committee had in the last eight months met only twice. This shows the state government’s apathy towards the issue,” said Kishor Deshpande, president of the Mill Workers’ Welfare Association.
The problem is that unless the committee sets the norms, housing schemes won’t take off, the official explained. It makes the committee’s job all the more important since the chief minister wants to raise over 80,000 dwellings for mill workers. Mr Deshmukh at a meeting this week in fact set a 30-day deadline to complete all formalities before he could launch the housing schemes.
Many point out that fixing eligibility norms is a fundamental issue. “Without having them in place, how can we go ahead with such schemes?” an official asked.
The lack of land is also another problem faced by the state. With no single mill owner willing to part with land, the government is finding it difficult to stick to its promise. The government’s condition makes it clear that mill owners should offer land that is “properly levelled for construction” and having “clear title”. It also makes mandatory for mill owners to transfer property on MHADA’s name. Nearly a year after these conditions were fixed, MHADA’s account continues to be blank.
“No one is willing to transfer because the government doesn’t want them to transfer,” Mr Deshpande rued.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had appointed the special high-power committee in March this year to finalise eligibility norms for rehabilitation of displaced mill-land workers and also to decide on the cost of construction to be charged to eligible claimants for free housing on mill land.
The committee had DK Sankaran, the then chief secretary, as its head along with other top bureaucrats such as principal secretaries of Textile and Urban Land Development Ministry, Mumbai’s municipal commissioner and the MHADA chief. Mr Joseph joined the committee as the then BMC commissioner and went on to head it after he was appointed as the chief secretary. The MHADA, too, had a new head in Mr Chandrashekhar. This, however, had hardly any impact on the committee’s functioning.
“The idea was to get norms cleared by the committee so as to help the government launch housing schemes for mill workers as promised. The committee, however, has not gone any further,” a top functionary of the state government told ET.
“The committee had in the last eight months met only twice. This shows the state government’s apathy towards the issue,” said Kishor Deshpande, president of the Mill Workers’ Welfare Association.
The problem is that unless the committee sets the norms, housing schemes won’t take off, the official explained. It makes the committee’s job all the more important since the chief minister wants to raise over 80,000 dwellings for mill workers. Mr Deshmukh at a meeting this week in fact set a 30-day deadline to complete all formalities before he could launch the housing schemes.
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Many point out that fixing eligibility norms is a fundamental issue. “Without having them in place, how can we go ahead with such schemes?” an official asked.
The lack of land is also another problem faced by the state. With no single mill owner willing to part with land, the government is finding it difficult to stick to its promise. The government’s condition makes it clear that mill owners should offer land that is “properly levelled for construction” and having “clear title”. It also makes mandatory for mill owners to transfer property on MHADA’s name. Nearly a year after these conditions were fixed, MHADA’s account continues to be blank.
“No one is willing to transfer because the government doesn’t want them to transfer,” Mr Deshpande rued.
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