The Central government will allot the entire 12.5 acres of Indu Mills land here to the State government for the construction of an international memorial for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Prime Minister on Saturday gave in-principle approval to the demand after an all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met him.
“A Secretary-level Committee will be formed to decide the formalities of the handover of the land which is currently in the possession of the National Textile Corporation,” Satish Lalit, the Chief Minister's Public Relations Officer, said.
The committee will consist of the Secretaries of the departments of Environment, Textiles and Urban Development, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, and other high-level bureaucrats.
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The delegation which met the Prime Minister consisted of 30 politicians including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Anand Sharma, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik, Manikrao Thakre, Patangrao Kadam, Anandraj Ambedkar, Rajendra Gavai, Sangharaj Rupwate, Vinod Tawde and Bala Nandgaonkar.
Ramdas Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), who was also a part of the delegation, thanked the Prime Minister for his assurance that the land would be handed over before January 31, 2012.
The delegation also conveyed the State's concerns about Belgaum, a disputed area, which is now part of Karnataka.
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“The Prime Minister heard the demand [for declaring Belgaum as a Union Territory till the Supreme Court's decision] but did not say anything as the matter is sub judice,” Mr. Lalit said.