Centre will transfer the Indu Mills land for Ambedkar Memorial
Maharashtra CM Leads An All -Party Delegation To PM
New Delhi, December 31- The Centre has agreed in principle the request to transfer the 12.5 acre Indu Mill land belonging to the National Textile Corporation (NTC) in Mumbai to the State Government free of cost for constructing a grand memorial of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, informed Privthviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He was addressing the media after leading an All Party Delegation to the Prime Minister. Shri Anand Sharma, Union Textiles Minister and Dy. CM, Ajitdada Pawar has also addressed the media.
Shri Chavan informed the press that it was decided in the meeting to constitute a committee in which officials from the Ministry of Environment, Urban Development, Textiles and the State Government will be included. They will sort out all the problems pertaining to this case immediately. The Chief Minister and Dy. Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for this kind gesture.
Shri Anand Sharma, Union Textiles Minister also addressed the media and said that Shri Prithviraj Chavan met him yesterday to discuss this matter thoroughly. Since Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a national icon, the Centre has made a positive approach to this issue, he added.
Shri Ajit Pawar, Dy. Chief Minister said that keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of the State, a unanimous resolution was passed in the Legislative Council recently and hoped that all hurdles in this regard will now be cleared.
The delegation also requested the PM to declare Belgaum as a Union Territory till the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, which is pending before the Supreme Court, is settled. The Prime Minister was kind enough to assure the delegation that he will look into this matter.
A unanimous resolution to this effect, on both the issues, had been passed in the just concluded winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur. The delegation also brought to the notice of the Hon’ble PM about the Government of Karnataka resorting to several undemocratic and repressive actions like dissolving the Belgaum Municipal Corporation on 15th December, changing the name of City from Belgaum to Belgavi and forcing them to learn Kannada. This has resulted in strong resentments. The delegation urged the PM to intervene in the matter and requested him to declare Belgaum as a Union Territory in order to protect the rights and dignity of Marathi-speaking people residing in the disputed areas.
The delegation was consisted of the Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan, Union Power Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Mukul Wasnik and Union MOS for Parliamentary Affairs, Rajiv Shukla, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister, R.R. Patil, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Vinod Tawde, the Social Justice Minister, Shivajirao Moghe, the Forest Minister, Patangrao Kadam, Water Resources Minister, Dr. Nitin Raut, Women & Child Development Minister, Prof. Varsha Gaikwad, Textile Minister, Nasim Khan, RPI Leaders, Ramdas Athwale, Anandraj Ambedkar, Vijay Kamble, Dr. Rajendra Gavai, Vithalrao Sawate,Sanghraj Rupawate MPCC President, Manikrao Thakre, NCP State President, Madhukar Pichad, Eknath Gaikwad, MP, Chandrakant Handore, ex-Minister, Kripashanksar Singh, MLA, Chief Secretary, Ratnakar Gaikwad, Secretary to CM, A.K. Jain, Prin. Secretary & Resident Commissioner, B.B. Mallick and others.
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