Won’t build houses for mill workers: Mhada

Mumbai: With Rs 600 crore to be recovered from its housing project for mill workers, the Maharashtra Housing And Area Development Authority has informed the government it will not construct any more houses for former mill workers.      It's more than two years since Mhada constructed 9,000 tenements for mill workers. Now the government wants Mhada to construct 7,000 more tenements that the authority has refused to do.      "It costs approximately Rs 12.5 lakh to construct a 300 sq ft tenement and this does not include the land cost. Most of the cost is owing to the various taxes to be paid,'' said sources. With the government yet to take a decision on allotment of houses, Mhada is stuck with the maintenance bill as well.      Sachin Ahir, minister of state for housing, said officials at meetings mentioned their reluctance to take up another such project.      The government prepared a list of mill workers and their heirs. There are now 1.48 lakh families eligible for a flat. The dispute is whom should the flats be allotted to.