Rewas-Mandwa Airport Plan May Be Dropped

Speaking at a seminar to discuss Regional Plan 1996-2001 of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mehta said that developments other than the airport in the Rewas-Mandwa region cannot be wished away.

The proposed airport has been strongly opposed by environment groups, including a local organisation called the Rewas Alibag Mandwa Association (RAMA). There are enough objections to the airport. But please come up with alternative strategies, Mehta said. It is not enough to say dont do it; first read the regional plan and then criticise it.

A plan read out by MMRDA chief planner V K Pathak seeks to lift restrictions on the growth of new offices in Mumbai.

 

It also recommends reforms in the outdated Rent Control Act and property tax.

The MMRDA plan seems to be underscored by the overriding principle that in the course of time, encourage or compel old, obsolete industries to either revive or make way for new ones. It suggests integrated planning and development to promote recycling of land and space used by obsolete activities like textile mills, cotton godowns of Mumbai Port Trust.

The new office-location policy has been proposed because Mumbai has shown signs of economic stagnation, and the overall establishment employment has grown by only ten per cent during 1980-90.

The office-oriented sectors have, however, grown by 78 per cent during 1989-90 and contributed for more than a half of all new jobs, it said.

Gayatri Singh of the Girni Kamgar Sanhgarsh Samiti came down heavily on the plans recommendations on industrial and office-location policies. The plan proposes the replacement of the manufacturing sector with that of the service sector, which will herald the growth of smaller establishments employing fewer thanl="/incs/bottom.inc"-->