No breakthrough in talks between govt and Medha Patkar

There was no break-through in the negotiations between the state government and social activist Medha Patkar, who has been on a hunger strike since May 20 against eviction of residents of Golibar slum in Mumbai.

There was no break-through in the negotiations between the state government and social activist Medha Patkar, who has been on a hunger strike since May 20 against eviction of residents of Golibar slum in Mumbai.

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"The ball is in their court now. We are waiting to hear from the Chief Minister. It is only a matter of political will. We have seen impossible things happening in case of Lavasa... similar things can happen here," Patkar told reporters on Thursday.

Some 140 acres of land at Golibar slum here has been handed over by the government to a private builder.

A delegation of slum-dwellers along with members of National Association of Peoples' Movement (NAPM) met minister of state for Housing Sachin Ahir on Thursday.

"Even today the talks with Sachin Ahir failed. There has been no breakthrough," Madhuresh Kumar, NAPM member, said.

Patkar had met Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, Collector Nirmal Deshmukh and other officials at the Collector's office yesterday.

Officials were told that unless an independent enquiry committee was constituted, the proposed sub-committee of a non-functional High Powered Committee without any timeframe would serve no purpose, Kumar said.

Patkar, in the seventh day of fast, looked frail.

Kumar also said that Aruna Roy, Member, National Advisory Council, spoke to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minster Prithviraj Chavan today and urged them to resolve the situation at the earliest.