Smriti Irani to hand over Indu Mill land to Maharashtra government today

Mumbai: Two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Dr B.R. Ambedkar memorial in Indu Mill land at Dadar, Union textile minister Smriti Irani will on Saturday officially hand over the land papers to the state government. The National Textile Corporation (NTC), which owns the Indu Mill land, was not ready to transfer it over the cost issue and wanted to use Transferable Development Rights (TDR) within the island city, which is not permitted under state government rules.

Sources in the Urban Development Department confirmed the land transfer and agreement between the NTC and the state government. “The Indu Mill land will be officially transferred to the state government. Union textile minister Smriti Irani would be coming for the programme tomorrow in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The state government would give TDR to the NTC in lieu of `1,400 crore, the land price,” an official said. The transfer of land attains importance ahead of Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14. The year 2016 was celebrated as the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar.

The NTC wanted to use the TDR within the island city, which is not allowed as per the state government rules. It is yet not clear if NTC has been allowed to use the TDR within city limits. The land was stuck in a dispute between the state government and NTC for over two years.