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Maharashtra seeks time to decide on NTC mills

The Maharashtra government will request the Centre for a month's time to decide on the National Textile Corporation mills in the state, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said on Tuesday.

Joshi said the request would be made to Union Textile Minister R L Jalappa.

A committee has already been appointed under the presidentship of the chief secretary along with other secretaries concerned to look into the issue, and which will prepare its report after studying the industries and consulting agencies like the Industrial Development Bank of India, he said.

The decision would be finalised after discussing the report with the chief minister and deputy chief minister and passed thereafter at the cabinet meeting, the chief minister said.

Jalappa had suggested to the state government to take over the 35 NTC mills without their liabilities.

The cabinet also discussed a draft proposal on development of surplus mills land in Bombay. However, no decision has been taken by the cabinet on the new proposal, Joshi said.

Earlier, mill owners were allowed to use the floor space index given for the development of surplus land in the suburbs under transfer of development rights, but a change has been suggested in the rules which compels using the FSI at the development site itself without the benefit of the transfer of development rights.

A restriction has sought to be imposed on mill owners through which they will no longer be able to exploit the whole surplus land for industrial purpose which was allowed in the earlier rules.

Restrictions of development land to be used for residential purpose have also been sought to be eased with the permission to exploit it for the commercial purpose, he added.