Mumbai, A high-level committee formed to examine objections to the proposed boundaries of seven ‘Koliwadas’, or traditional fishing villages, in Mumbai will submit its recommendations within three months, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday.
The committee will examine the survey maps prepared by the Mumbai city collector’s office and consider the objections received. It will also hear the views of the objectors and representatives of Koli organisations before submitting its recommendations to the state government. The deputy director of land records for the Konkan region will serve as the member secretary, the statement added.
Bawankule said members of the Koli community were the original inhabitants of Mumbai and that protecting their rights was the government’s primary responsibility. However, objections raised by various authorities to the boundaries shown on the maps delayed the finalisation process, he said in a statement. Following directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state government has constituted a nine-member committee under the Konkan divisional commissioner to examine the objections and recommend the final boundaries, it said. Bawankule said the committee had been directed to conduct the exercise transparently and submit a detailed report within three months. The government was committed to protecting the Koli community’s land rights without compromising the interests of any Koli family, while ensuring that development works proceeded without delay, he said.
The government had earlier conducted site inspections and surveys to prepare maps marking the boundaries of these settlements.
