The Mumbai mill workers’ housing scheme is a rehabilitation initiative launched for workers employed in 58 closed or financially distressed textile mills across Greater Mumbai. The programme was introduced following the closure of several textile mills after the 1982 Great Bombay Textile Strike, to provide affordable homes through the redevelopment of former mill lands.
To facilitate the scheme, the Maharashtra government adopted the “One-Third Formula”, under which land belonging to defunct textile mills was divided equally. One-third was earmarked for housing mill workers, one-third was allocated to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), and the remaining one-third was retained by the mill owners for development. Although the policy has been in place for decades, the pace of housing delivery has remained slower than expected.
The scheme is supported by an estimated government subsidy of Rs 5,500 crore, jointly funded by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, the Maharashtra Housing Fund and state budgetary allocations. Each housing unit has been priced at Rs 15 lakh, with eligible mill workers or their legal heirs required to contribute Rs 9.5 lakh, while the remaining Rs 5.5 lakh is provided by the state government.
Under the approved framework, housing will be developed through three models. The first involves the construction of 8,000 homes on 11.76 hectares of government land in Thane through MHADA. The second proposes housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) on approved private land layouts within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region through joint ventures with landowners. The third model enables private developers to construct homes under PMAY-approved layouts.
To establish eligibility, MHADA launched a verification drive in 2023 for mill workers and their heirs. Applicants are required to submit available supporting documents, including the mill worker’s identity card, ticket number, service certificate, Red Pass (Lal Pass), Provident Fund (PF) number, ESIC number, mill certificate, attendance or muster roll, leave register, gratuity payment order, PF settlement order, salary slips, Aadhaar card and other relevant records.
Documents can be submitted either at the nearest MHADA office or through the dedicated “Mill Workers Eligibility” mobile application integrated with the Integrated Housing Lottery Management System (IHLMS 2.0). Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the application enables applicants to upload their documents digitally from anywhere, making the eligibility verification process more accessible and efficient.
Source: The Times of India
