Mill land residents to get free houses

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a proposal to provide free text books to students up to the tenth standard in government-aided schools in the urban and rural areas of the state.

Rs 20 crore has already been allocated for this. The scheme would be applicable to schools in zilla parishad- and municipal corporation-administered regions.

Addressing mediapersons, chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the Cabinet approved a proposal for providing free houses to the residents of tenements within textile mill land premises in Mumbai city who are facing imminent eviction.

Under the proposal, alternative housing would be made available for the residents only after which they would be asked to vacate their current residences.

On the chief secretary Ajit Nimbalkar's retirement on May 31, Shinde said there was no proposal to give the chief secretary a second extension in tenure.