08 February,2009 02:43 PM IST | | PTI
Maharashtra Government is planning to offer additional Floor Space Index (FSI) to owners of cattle-sheds, that occupy hundreds of acres of land in the western suburbs, to shift them outside Mumbai.
A meeting of Mumbai legislators held at Mantralaya recently and chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan decided to offer more FSI to the cattle-sheds owners, who are reluctant to shift base despite Bombay High Court's ruling.
"The Government has already offered them 33 per cent extra FSI and help in rehabilitating 'tabelas' in neighbouring Thane district.
Due to poor response, we are thinking of increasing the FSI for them," a senior Urban Development official told PTI.
Over 60 hectare land in the city is occupied by such cattle-sheds and the Government wants to use the land for developmental works, the official said.
After receiving several complaints from local people about hygiene, pollution and nuisance caused by the animals, the State Government decided to shift cattle-sheds outside the city, he said.
Alternate land has been provided at Dabcheri in Dahanu taluka of Thane district and it is expected that the sheds would be relocated there within six months, the official said.
However, the cattle-sheds owners are reluctant to move to Dabcheri, which is over 140 kilometers away from the city.
Their main contention is that it would take at least three hours to transport milk, not pasteurised, to Mumbai from Dabcheri. Rail link is available only upto Dahanu, an hour's journey from the proposed site.
The Bombay High Court in December ordered the State Government to shift nearly 2,000 cattle-sheds housing over 50,000 buffaloes and cows out of the city.
