Uncertainty hangs over the utilisation of about 2,177 hectares or approximately 5,000 acres of salt pan land for domestic, social housing and commercial purposes in Mumbai.
Uncertainty hangs over the utilisation of about 2,177 hectares or approximately 5,000 acres of salt pan land for domestic, social housing and commercial purposes in Mumbai.
Following its assurance to the Parliament that it will work out a feasible plan for the appropriation of salt pan land spread across 13 segments from Dahisar to Ghatkopar in 2003, the Union government has since tried to back out. But the parliamentary panel, headed by Maneka Gandhi, has refused to accept its plea.
“The committee noted that no decision has been taken by the government so far regarding utilisation and development of salt pan lands owned by the government. The committee, therefore, desired that the matter be expedited and brought to its logical conclusion,” the multi-member panel said on Tuesday. Salt pan pools, besides their obvious use in obtaining salt, also help stem high tide waves.
On June 9, 2001, the Centre approved a proposal to transfer 5,378 acres of surplus land in Maharashtra on ‘as is where is’ basis for sharing between the Union urban development ministry and the state.
Even as the state and the Centre were locked in a dialogue over sharing of the precious land, the Centre’s group of ministers (GoM), on April 23, 2007, found to its surprise that the state government had ‘changed’ the entries in revenue records to its benefit.
The ownership of 3,516 acres of land listed under ‘mithagar’ (salt work), vested with the Government of India, was changed to ‘Government of Maharashtra’ in the records.
However, since both governments belonged to the same ruling party, the Union government ‘requested’ its ally state to ‘restore the original entry’ in favour of the salt commissioner, Government of India.
The division of salt pan land is as follows: Dahisar (175 hectares), Malvani (18 ha), Pahadi (40 ha), Mulund (456 ha) Nahur (86 ha), Bhandup (220 ha), Kanjur Marg (598 ha), Wadala (164 ha), Anik (54 ha), Turbhe (148 ha), Mandale (105 ha), Chembur (57 ha) and Ghatkopar (56 ha).
Both the Centre and state government are conscious of the fact that this huge land spread in different segments has been under the developers’ and realtors’ scanner.
The state has tried to persuade the Centre that the slums on the lands owned by the Centre, like the ones abutting the Mumbai airport (80,000 hutments), Bombay Port Trust (15,000 hutments) and the Railways be rehabilitated on its share of saltpans. Similarly, the slum dwellers on state and BMC-owned land would be settled on salt pans under the state-owned portions.
Although the Union government maintains it is concerned with a fast speed solution to the salt pan lands, it hasn’t been able to justify that the bureaucratic actions have aimed at it anywhere.
A GoM was set up in May 2001, during the NDA rule, to examine issues relating to utilisation of the surplus salt lands but it failed to take a decision.
Numerous committees have been set up but to examine the salt pans land issue, but none have been able to reach a concrete resolution.
Considering the complexities and issues involved, it is not possible to visualise a precise time frame by which a final decision on the matter may emerge, the government said while seeking dropping of its assurance that salt pan land would be utilised soon.
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