MUMBAI, July 31: After having cleared the sale of surplus mill land belonging to Khatau Mills, Modern Mills and the New Great Eastern Spinning and Weaving Mills, the Sena-BJP government will now have to clear similar proposals of five other sick textile units in the metropolis.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today said his government was awaiting orders from the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) regarding the sale of surplus land belonging to Vinod, Matulya, Raghuwanshi, Shriram and Kamla mills. ``The government has approved the rehabilitation scheme for Modern and New Great Eastern Mills as per the directives of the BIFR,'' Joshi told media persons.

Joshi also made it clear that his government was yet to take a policy decision on the sale of surplus mill land. As per the Modern Mill's rehabilitation package, Joshi said, 7,058 sq mtr of its land has been surrendered to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, 8,626 sq mtrs to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 8,694 sq mtrs has been earmarked for the mill's modernisation programme. In the case of New Great Eastern Mills no land is required to be surrendered since its rehabilitation plan envisages construction of small industrial units on the available land.

Replying to a question, Joshi said rehabilitation schemes for both Modern Mills and the New Great Eastern Mills were approved by the erstwhile Congress government in 1993 as per the BIFR orders. When the alliance government came to power, it stayed the scheme, as it was redrafting its policy on surplus mill land. The surplus mill land to be developed as approved by BIFR is as follows: Matulya Mills (17,797 sq mt), Kamala Mills (10,000 sq mt), Raghuvanshi Mills (6,200 sq mt) and Shriram Mills (120,000 sq ft). Meanwhile, the government has sought Law & Judiciary Department's opinion on the rehabilitation package for the Khatau Mills. Though the government has permitted the sale of surplus land belonging to the mill, no concrete steps have been taken by the management to revive the unit.y

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