[Reader-list] [Announcements] 16.2.05: Mill Lands Seminar

[GIRNI KAMGAR]

Dear All:

You are cordially invited to a seminar:

TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE OF THE MILL LANDS


Date:
WEDNESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2005

Time:
3.00 P.M. to 6.00 P.M.

Venue:
Academy of Architecture
5th Floor, Rachna Sansad
Off Sayani Road, Behind Ravindra Natya Mandir
278, Shankar Ghanekar Marg
Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025
Phone +91.22.2430.1024, +91.22.2431.0807, +91.22.2422.9969


The Urban Department of Government of Maharashtra has appointed a 
committee to examine the modifications made to Section 58 of the 
Development Control Regulations (DCR) in 2001. This Section deals with 
the development of the textile mill lands of Mumbai. The Terms of 
Reference for the committee states that 'the interests of the textile 
workers / financial institutions should not be jeopardised'. However, 
the composition of the committee clearly demonstrates that while the 
interests of some stakeholders are represented, that of the workers has 
been deliberately ignored. The members represent financial 
institutions, mill-owners and the Municipal Corporation of Greater 
Mumbai (MCGM), in addition to architect Charles Correa. However, any 
representation of the textile workers is conspicuously absent.

Section 58 of the Development Control Regulations

In Section 58 of the DCR (1991), mill lands were to be shared more or 
less equally between the MCGM for open spaces, Maharashtra Housing Area 
Development Authority (MHADA) and the mill-owners. When the DCR was 
modified in 2001, the land share of the mill-owners increased by a 
whopping 180%. This increase was made at the cost of both the city and 
the workers. The land share of the MCGM, which was meant for creating 
parks and other amenities, as well as the land share for the housing of 
the textile workers have been reduced by 90%. On the other hand, as per 
the proposals of 16 private mills submitted to the MCGM as per the 
modified DCR Section 58, the mill-owners’ share has been tripled!

In the modified DCR 58, there is a provision that within the space 
provided for public housing, 50% is set aside for housing textile 
workers. There is also a provision made for job opportunities for the 
family members of the workers. This was in response to the demand made 
by the textile workers, who were losing their jobs due to mill 
closures. However with the revised sharing of the lands, these gains 
will now only remain on paper. The closure of the mills has already 
deprived the workers their livelihood. The new modifications proposed 
to the DCR will deny their right to housing as well. The proposed 
amendments to DCR will also deprive the citizens of Mumbai of badly 
needed open spaces.

It is to discuss these urgent issues that Mumbai Study Group and Girni 
Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti have jointly organised a seminar on WEDNESDAY 
16 FEBRUARY to see if a consensus is possible among the different 
stake-holders in the development of the mill lands. The intention is to 
formulate a set of suggestions / demands which will then be submitted 
to the new committee. The seminar is expected to be attended by 
individuals and organisations from a diverse cross section of Mumbai’s 
citizens.

Please make it convenient to attend and make your valuable contribution 
to the discussion and the proposals. To download a fact-finding report 
and study on Phoenix Mills by the Girangaon Bachao Andolan, originally 
published in 2000, go to http://crit.org.in/projects/girni/phoenix



Datta Iswalkar, Meena Menon, and Neera Adarkar
GIRNI KAMGAR SANGHARSH SAMITI

Pankaj Joshi, Arvind Adarkar, and Darryl D'Monte
MUMBAI STUDY GROUP


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