Salt land available for re-settlement purpose in Mah: Nath

Mumbai, May 25 (UNI) The Union Government in confabulation with the Maharashtra Government has decided to deploy the sand lands in the State for re-settlement purposes.

In effect, the entire stretch of salt lands admeasuring about 5,160 acres in Maharashtra will be shared between the Centre and the Maharashtra Government, to begin with on a 50:50 basis, strictly for addressing the encroachment and resettlement issue practically.

Addressing a news conference here this evening, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said, ''A committee is being set up by the Maharashtra Government to work out a self-financing scheme for the end-user with no funding to come either from the State or the Central Government.'' Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was also present at the news conference.

A five-week timeframe has been set for the committee to work out the modality of the scheme and its financial viability, Mr Nath said responding to a query.

To a related question, the Minister said the Committee will draw members from various related departments like Urban Development and Housing Department besides financial institutions.

Now that the salt land usage has been changed from its traditional form, a suitable amendment to this effect is also in the offing, said Mr Nath, clarifying a query to this effect.

Though both, the Centre and the State Government has, in-principle, agreed to split the salt lands equally, ''there is no rigidity in this context by both, the Maharashtra and the Central Governments.'' If necessary, either the State or the Centre may have one-third or two-third depending on the need, he added.

In this sense, the Union Minister explained that Centre will also need the salt land to address the encroachment issue it is facing at the airport, port trust and railways. As such, he said, depending upon the land requirement in each case, the Central Governnment will decide to the extent of land it wants to use.

Replying to a question on the funding model, the Minister said ''The committee will decide all these issues. Broadly, the funding model will be different in each area and won't be uniform.'' Explaining the rationale behind the decision of the Government, Mr Nath said: ''With almost 95 per cent of the salt land in the State locked in litigation, we (Centre&the State) have decided to approach the issue in a practical way.'' With a substantial chunk of salt lands under litigation, the self financing scheme will pass through the courts, he added.

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