Shiv Sena calls off August 1 bandh

After day-long deliberations and political diplomacies on free housing to mill workers, the Shiv Sena led alliance on Saturday called off its proposed Mumbai bandh on August 1. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s diplomatic intervention and practical approach towards the solution made the alliance to soften its stand on the bandh.

Soon after the CM made the facts clear to all the members in the state assembly at around 9pm on Friday, he requested Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray to call off the strike. Home minister RR Patil followed suit and requested Thackeray over the phone to stall the bandh.

Chavan also called an urgent meeting with the union leaders of the mill workers at his official bungalow on Saturday. Uddhav postponed his press conference by two hours, only to anounce that they have called off the bandh. He said the bandh was “postponed” by two months and the government was given time to resolve the issue. “We will re-launch our agitation with more intensity, if the government fails to keep its promise,” Uddhav said.

The CM reiterated that nobody should day dream about free housing to the textile workers and accept the fact that only 15% of the claimants will have the tenements on the mill land. However, Chavan accepted all the key demands made by the mill workers for allotment of the houses. Chavan, however, kept all possibilities open for alternatives means for creation of more houses to accommodate mill workers. He told the union leaders that the government is thinking of additional FSI to Kohinoor mills chawls and other old buildings on the mill land, reservations in the Mhada schemes, allotment of plots for the housing societies of workers in rural areas and rehabilitation.He however said that it was a very slow process and one should not expect the solution to be achieved in a day or two.

Apart from the government subsidy of around Rs 2.50 lakh, Chavan assured the workers to waive off or reduce the taxes and management charges to bring the cost down little further. Chavan announced a committee of the minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir, officials from the Mhada and representatives of the mill workers to decide upon the cost of the tenements. The committee will zero in on the price in two months and discuss on the possibility on more houses on the lands to be obtained from remaining 24 mills. “We are still firm on our demand of the free houses,” said Eknath Mane, secretary, Mumbai Girni Kamgar Union.

“The CM has assured us on all other demands. He responsed positively to  our demands.”