MUMBAI, July 31: Empty spaces stretch out in front of them, and yet thousands of mill workers, in reality, do not have an inch to stand on.Despite a series of agitations and controversies, the sustained state policy on the question of surplus mill land in Central Mumbai remains a lip service to workers and to pacify the mill owners.

The conflicting intentions and the action on the issue has been a characteristic of the powers-that-be in Maharashtra. The final stamp of approval given by the state cabinet for the sale of surplus land of Modern Mills and New Great Easter Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd has underlined a fact that when it comes to the question of prime urban land, the concern for workers does not hold any water.

The government's decision, shrouded behind a veil of secrecy, also suggests that the coalition government's earlier intention to undertake integrated development plan for the city's 58 cotton textile mills has been buried.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the state government has been cold shouldering the much publicised Charles Correa committee and its recommendations. The committee, headed by renowned architect Charles Correa, was appointed in February 1996 and the government had stayed all proposals for the sale of surplus land of the mills whose rehabilitation programme was approved by the Board Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).

Meanwhile, the private mill owners had almost unleased a war against the Joshi government's stated policy on surplus land. The Correa Committee had a tough time dealing with the mill owners. Nearly all of them, barring three, in the private sector, had not only boycotted the committee, but they did not even allow the committee members, including Charles Correa and former chief secretary D M Sukthankar to visit their premises for an inspection. The government's action suggests that now the scene of action is shifting from the job market to the real estate market. The permission to sell the surplus land of two mills would generate over 4.5 lakh square feet of floor space for development.

According to sources, the proposals of nine other mills are in the pipeline, which would release about 29 lakh square feet of land for development.

The entire saga began with the much-trumpeted revised Development Control Rules of 1991.

The revised DC rules permitted mill land to be sold and used for commercial purposes only if the proceeds were meant for financing modernisation of plants.

The rules stipulated that 66 per cent of the land sold should revert to the city to be used for housing and public amenities. However, this reservation was not applicable if the land to be sold is less than 15 per cent of the mill's total holding. The 15 per cent of the area of Mumbai's 54 mills was estimated to be worth at least Rs 3000 crore.

This was now a complete reversal of the government's previous policy.

The government had willingly surrendered its right to control urban space, its right to regulate the growth of commercial and industrial activities.

The rules removed the barriers that separated industrial and residential land and the employment generation in the city was subjected to the logistics of the real estate market.

All this was done during the Congress regime. The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government sought to project itself in a different light, an image that may reassure the industrial workers.

Soon after assuming power the chief minister, Manohar Joshi, stressed on the integrated development of the Cental Mumbai mill area. He had then envisaged to accommodate all the conflicting interests. The task was tough and therefore easier to dump.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.