Mumbai, July 14: BJP-Shiv Sena-led opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council today staged a walkout on the opening day of the monsoon session to protest the non-payment of dues to workers of the closed private mills in the city. Raising the issue during question hour, leader of the opposition in the upper house, Nitin Gadkari, alleged that several mill workers had been driven to suicide following the government's failure to pay the dues of labourers of 23 private mills.

The government had displayed a complete lack of interest in addressing the problems of these workers and had turned a blind eye to the illegal constructions being carried out in some of the mill compounds, he alleged. Replying to the query, textile minister Prakash Awad admitted that except for certain mills like Mukesh, Swans, Standard, Moraji Mill 2, Kamala and Hindustan Mill one and two, the government was yet to pay up the dues of employees.

Explaining the reason behind non-payment of dues, Awad said the cases of nearly eight mills were still pending before the BIFR, a quasi-judicial body while two of the mills were with the court receiver, he said.

Efforts were on to settle the remaining dues of the closed mills. The mills that had closed down include Mukesh, Shrinivas, Mafatlal number two and four, Raghuvanshi, Swan, Victoria, Khatau, Piramaland and standard.

The BIFR had accepted a proposal to revive 10 of the closed down mills.

Bureau Report