Around 40,000 mill workers to get homes: State

Mumbai: Around 40,000 mill workers from Mumbai will get homes in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). After taking stock of the available land and demand, the state government has decided to increase the number of homes to be provided to the mill workers. Earlier, the state government had decided to give homes to around 16,000 mill workers. But 1.75 lakh mill workers have registered for the scheme. Cabinet Secretary Sumit Mullick chaired a meeting with mill workers organisations. The final decision will be taken only after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ approval.  

The demand for homes for the mill workers has been a politically sensitive issue in state and particularly in Mumbai. Mill workers are demanding homes on the plots where the mills were functioning in the past.

There was a demand of accommodating all mill workers. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the ruling party in the state, had promised homes to all mill workers in its manifesto. But as the state government had stated in the proposal that 16,000 homes would be provided, mill workers organisations had threatened to march on Mantralaya.

To placate the mill workers, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked his officers to look for the land to accommodate more mill workers. Hence, Cabinet secretary and other senior officers held a meeting in Mumbai with all mill workers organisations and initiated the new proposal.

“More 24,000 homes, means a total of 40,000 homes will be given to mill workers in MMR area. The locations are not yet finalised. We may visit the locations in MMR area,” Mr Mullick said.