MUMBAI, November 22: Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (RMMS), a representative union of the Mumbai textile workers on Saturday called upon the state government to create a separate agency for bringing in transparency in the sale of land by textile mills and utilisation of money. RMMS also strongly demanded invitation of global tenders for the sale of land to carry out modernisation and revival of city mills. RMMS president Govindrao Adik said that the proposed agency should be headed by a Supreme Court or a high court judge and comprise representatives of state government, labour, municipal corporation and mill. "Such check is necessary. I know that some mill owners are genuine however, there are certain for whom nobody can take a guarantee," he remarked.

Adik was addressing a day-long seminar on "Land resource a remedy of textile sickness," organised by the city unit of Textile Association (India) here. Adik's views were shared by Chandrashekhar Prabhu, former chairman of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Agency (MHADA) and former high court judge H Suresh.

State industry minister Leeladhar Dake who inaugurated the seminar said that the government was in favour of proper monitoring of the utilisation of funds realised from sale of land. "The funds need to be utilised for the modernisation of the mills ," he added. Prabhu said that the government should be genuine in its approach and evolve a transparent system for the revival of city textile mills. Suresh stressed the need for a transparent deal "which guarantees a scheme taking into account the workers' interest and also providing for eventual return of public funds to the public exchequer." Adik said that the state government's proposed plans to amend the existing Development Control Rules to divide excess land-one fourth each among mills owners, municipal corporation, MHADA and workers as an "irrational" move.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.