Apartments for mill-workers to cost Rs. 84,000 less: Chavan

Mill workers in Mumbai will get now flats at reduced rates from the state government. The government on Friday declared that it would charge Rs. 84,000 less for a flat.

Mill workers in Mumbai will get now flats at reduced rates from the state government. The government on Friday declared that it would charge Rs. 84,000 less for a flat.

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The houses on sale have been built by Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) on the land provided by textile mills that have undergone redevelopment.

A lottery is to be conducted for 6,778 flats in May, said chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the legislative assembly.

Earlier, the government had decided to sell each flat, measuring 225-sq-ft for Rs. 8.34 lakh. While, last year about 1.10 lakh applications were received for houses, this number could now go up to 1.50 lakh.

Chavan announced that interested housing societies of mill workers would be given the 8.95 hectares of mill land for redevelopment. He also announced that the families of 22 mill workers who died in an agitation for united Maharashtra (separated from Gujarat and Central Province) would get free housing from the lot.

However, the government’s decision did not impress Datta Iswalkar of the Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti. “The government can easily waive the taxes that are levied on sale deeds and other duties. These mill workers have contributed significantly towards the growth of the city and today the state wants to make them pay which is very unfortunate.”