The report proposes that it is possible to develop the existing land in a manner that will ensure workers' rights, ensure mill owners' interests as well as benefit the city. Accordingly, it suggests that workers be given housing as well as post-retirement benefits. Among others, the report has been sent out to former bureaucrat D N Sukhtankar, former municipal commissioner Jamshed Kanga, Urban Development secretary K Nalinakshan, MP Mohan Rawle and industries minister Leeladhar Dake.

The proposal covers the city's 58 mills, including 25 run by the National Textile Corporation and one by theMaharashtra State Textile Corporation. The total land has been pegged at 600 acres, and the number of workers 50,000. ``A survey will have to be conducted among the 58 mills to indicate vacant and built up areas as well as `viable mills, potentially viable mills after modernisation and non-viable mills', cautions the draft. A survey pointing out the exact land involved has to be done, or if the government has the figures, made available, added the draft.

The draft proposes that the 600 acres of land be clubbed together and developed as an integrated, composite whole. This land should be divided on a one-fourth principle, with one quarter of 150 acres each for the BMC, state government, workers and the mill owners. Of the BMC's share, 22.5 acres will be used to develop civic amenities such as police stations or public parks as per DC rules, 1991. There will be no Transfer of Development Rights involved.

Under the state government's share, 10,00,000 sq mtrs is proposed to be developed on a gross FSI of0.41. Of this, 4,50,5000 is proposed to be developed by the government to cover workers' liabilities. With 50,000 workers and an assumed FSI of Rs 15,000 per sq mtr, this works out to Rs 1,250 crore, as per the draft. The remaining Rs 5,50,000 sq mtrs is to be developed by financial housing agencies to provide funds for workers' housing.

As per existing Development Control regulations of 1991, FSI potential for mill owners is pegged at 1.33; thus the total potential area for development is 27,13,200 sq mtrs. Of this, proposes the draft, 10,00,000 sq mtrs should be given to the government to ensure that the workers' financial liabilities workers be paid off. The rest can be developed by mill owners. To safeguard as well as generate employment, the draft proposes that 50 per cent of the land be developed to set up industry, while the rest be commercially exploited to enable mill owners to modernise as well as raise finances for developing the mill.

Of the workers' share, it has been proposed that workers onthe rolls be made owners of an area of 28 sq mtrs each of FSI, which will be pledged with housing finance corporations. At an FSI rate of Rs 15,000 per sq mtr, the share per worker amounts to about Rs 4.50 lakh.

These proposals, in particular the division of 600 acres into four parts as opposed to the cutting up land on a one-third principle under the DC rules, would require a rewriting of sorts in both DC rules as well as the BMC's Development Plan. The draft suggests that a planning authority on the lines of MMRDA be appointed for this purpose; and that the BMC be the approving authority for any changes.

A committee also must be appointed to ensure that approval of schemes and the functioning of the BMC, the state government and the housing finance institutions involved, suggests the draft. As of today, there is no monitoring body to ensure that mill owners plough back the proceeds of land sale into modernisation of the mill.

Said Neera Adarkar, ``We have kept in minds the workers' rights as well astheir contributions to the development of the textile industry. In that sense, it is permissible to say that they have a right over the land.''

Commented D M Sukhtankar, who was part of the Charles Correa committee set up to suggest a developmental plan for the city, ``The proposal to give one-fourth of the land to workers will set a bad precedent in all industries.'' Terming it a `political' proposal, Sukhtankar added that workers had `absolutely' no right to land. ``What they do have a right to is post-retirement or retrenchment dues, and they may demand a more munificient retirement package.'' But, he concurred, there should be a monitoring body to ensure that mill owners don't spend the money meant for modernisation as they like.

Countered P K Das, ``The textile industry in Mumbai can't be compared to any other industry. It was one of the first industries in the city; plus, mills and the workers constitute central Mumbai, or Girangaon. Now, Girangaon is almost history, and due to the devastationwreaked on it, it can't be compared to any other industry.

When a chemical or electrical industry shuts down, he pointed out, VRS runs into lakhs of rupees, but textile workers get just one-and-a-half to two lakhs. Similarly, he said, mill workers need to be adequately compensated as well.

The draft proposal will be presented at a public meeting on `FSI and Mumbai's Development' on Saturday at Max Mueller Bhavan, and after it is thrashed out, it will be formally submitted to the government.