No land for mill workers’ houses, but illegal eateries and pubs thrive
Several years have passed but still, Mumbai mill workers are waiting for their houses. A policy was framed on providing houses to the mill workers under the then Chief Minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh’s regime in 2006 by bringing an amendment in the Development Control Regulation (DCR) rule which allowed one-third of land reservation for the mill workers’ houses on the open mill land area. However, the landlords took advantage of DCR clause by not demolishing the old mill structure which has a provision if no new construction is done then 1/3 of land need not be kept for mill workers houses, said Jayprakash Bhileri, secretary of Maharashtra Girni Kamgaar Union (mill workers’ association).
Bhileri said due to this clause the mill landowners got the privilege and they refrained from reserving land for mill workers. Therefore, illegal pubs, restaurants got place on mill land. “A similar example is found in the Kamala Mill landlord case, they did not give requisite land as the owner claimed that they maintained the previous structure. However, after the fire which killed 14 people, the false has been exposed and BMC accepted that there are violations of norms, hence, now as modifications and alterations been done, also new construction is carried out, the landlord is bound to give back 1/3 piece of land to mill workers and
same demand will be made to CM soon,” Bhileri added.
In Mumbai total, 1.75 lakh mill workers have applied for houses while only 12,000 got the homes. Also, the mills under National Textile Centre which include India United Mill, Kohinoor Mill, Jam Mill, Madhusudan Mill and others are shut and if these mills are ready to provide 1/3 land then 23,000 housing demand will be fulfilled in Mumbai itself. While the remaining housing demand will be fulfilled by providing houses in the outskirts of Mumbai like Kalyan, Virar and Panvel under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) housing development projects.
In addition, under the MMRDA housing projects, 2,400 houses to the mill workers and it will provide more 8,000 houses.
Datta Iswalkar, another union leader of Mill Workers Association said, “CM is not keen on the mill workers housing issue. In three years only three meetings have been held and no new construction has been undertaken, only old construction houses are being allotted.”