The Rajya Sabha’s Committee on Government Assurances has expressed concerns over the delay in Maharashtra’s efforts to unlock Mumbai’s large salt pan land tracts for projects such as affordable housing.
The committee has urged the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry, that is entrusted with the salt pan lands, to take up the matter for expeditious resolution with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the CM told The Hindu that the decision on salt pan lands is pending with the Centre, not the State.
“As far we are concerned, the salt pan land decision is pending with the Central government and not with the State,” Mr. Fadnavis said. The CM had, in 2014, said that 600 acres of the salt pan land would be freed up for building affordable homes.
‘Strange delay’
The committee had examined the issue regarding transfer of salt pan lands of Mumbai during a study visit to the city, as an assurance had been given on the matter by the Union Commerce Minister as far back as March 2014, when the UPA government was in power.
The Centre had informed Parliament at the time that it had asked the State administration to submit a substantive proposal for transferring the salt pan lands in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to the State government for affordable housing projects.
The representatives of the State government had informed the committee during its visit that the State’s response “had been delayed since mapping of wetlands was being undertaken” and the proposal would be sent to the Central Ministry after preparing the new Master Plan for Mumbai.
Expressing concern over the delay in fulfilment of the assurance, the panel has said it was “strange as to why the State government is not expediting necessary steps and sending its reply regarding market plan, etc. to take the matter forward, despite the fact that the proposal could unlock much needed spare land for housing and other developmental activities in Mumbai where the land is scarce”.
The report of the committee, which keeps track of assurances given by ministers on the floor of the Upper House while replying to queries from parliamentarians, was presented on Monday.
New formula?
State government officials said the Maharashtra government has reworked the formula for sharing of the nearly 1,000 acres of salt pan land with the central government. A utilisation plan and sharing formula have been forwarded to the Centre in order to secure its nod for for allowing development of the land for affordable housing in the space-starved city.
Much of the land in question is, in fact, encroached upon. A 2016 survey of the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) found most of the salt pans in Mumbai are encroached upon by slums and illegal structures. Barely 25 acres of the total land is available for development, the survey had found.
The officials of the State Urban Development Department said the encroachment of salt pan land is an issue they are not handling. “That issue (salt pans) is the prerogative of the Revenue Department,” Nitin Kareer, principal secretary in the department said.
Another issue related to the ownership of the land has been resolved, said senior State government officials. Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil has already adjudicated on the matter of ownership of the salt pan parcels, which are jointly owned by the State and Central governments as per the ruling of the Konkan Divisional Commissioner.
The ownership report was earlier disputed by the Deputy Salt Commissioner, who had petitioned the Revenue Minister on the same. “The final adjudication on the ownership was declared by the honourable Revenue Minister a month ago,” Rajendra Kshirsagar, deputy secretary in the State Revenue Department, said.
