Mumbai, June 24 : The Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday approved the transfer of the plot reserved for the High Court in Bandra (East) to the Public Works Department free of cost.

'It has been decided to give 30.16 acres of land out of the 90 acres of land in the government colony in Bandra (East) to the High Court. A new complex for the High Court will be built on this land. The High Court has directed that this land be transferred in six phases. During the first two phases, 9.64 acres of land out of the six phases have been transferred. The 4.09 acres of land in the third phase include the Gautam Nagar and Samata Nagar slums. There are some encroached slum dwellers on this land reserved for the High Court. Therefore, the Housing Department has formulated a policy to evict the residents and non-resident slum dwellers of this slum before developing this land,' said the government release.

In order to take action to remove the slum dwellers in the third phase, the slum dwellers who were eligible for rehabilitation were required to pay Rs 31.75 crore to the Public Works Department for 254 flats under the slum rehabilitation scheme in Malad East and Kandivali to the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. The Cabinet has approved waiving this amount.

'It was also approved to transfer the 138 non-residential and 116 residential slums of this place and the management expenses of the slum dwellers on the remaining plots to the Public Works Department free of cost after the eligibility of the slum dwellers on the Slum Rehabilitation Authority was determined,' said the release.

Meanwhile, Marketing Minister Jayakumar Rawal said that the government is positive about resolving the issues of Mathadi workers related to the marketing department. The minister also assured that action will be taken against the Warai (Warnar) workers who are working illegally without being registered.

'In this meeting, various issues raised by Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation, were discussed. Legislators Shashikant Shinde and Narendra Patil demanded the implementation of the Mathadi Act in the private agricultural produce market committee. In this regard, a meeting will be held with the relevant agricultural produce market committee representatives after examining the provisions of the law, and an appropriate decision will be taken,' said the minister.

The meeting also discussed the issue of employing licensed surveyors/weighers of the market committee in its service.

/IANS