MUMBAI: The Centre has given an in-principle nod to a free-of-cost transfer of the 12.5 acre land of the National Textile Corporation’s (NTC) Indu Mill in Mumbai to the Maharashtra government for constructing a memorial for Dalit icon Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had led an all-party delegation, which also consisted of state ministers and ministers in the Union Government from Maharashtra and Dalit leaders, to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue on Saturday.
Earlier, the long-pending demand had shot into national headlines after a group of Dalit activists, led by Ambedkar’s grandson Anandraj Ambedkar had stormed into the mill premises and occupied it on December 6 to stress for the memorial.
On Thursday, Home Minister R R Patil met the protestors and assured them of the state government’s support for the demand, following which the agitation was withdrawn.
Chavan said a committee consisting of officials from the Union Ministries of Environment, Urban Development, Textiles and the Maharashtra Government would be formed to sort out issues pertaining to the case.
The delegation also called on the PM to declare Belgaum in Karnataka as a Union Territory till the Maharashtra- Karnataka boundary dispute, which is before the Supreme Court, was settled.