Mumbai: Aarey tabela owners told to vacate govt quarters

One of the government quarters allotted to cattle farm owners. Each of these properties is surrounded by lush green foliage. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Cattle farm owners living in government quarters at Aarey Milk Colony for decades have been told to vacate the premises. The office of Aarey's chief executive officer has served notices to these tabela owners saying that the government has asked them to cancel the allotments. About 100 family members of cattle farm owners live in 40-50 government quarters. The move could be the outcome of the crisis-ridden MVA government's hurry to take several decisions, said a few tabela owners.

Sources said the Aarey CEO has also written to the Aarey Colony Milk Producers Association (ACMPA), asking its members to leave the quarters. However, no deadline has been set for this.

"According to the government letter dated June 2, 2022, the government quarters in the Aarey Milk Colony which were allotted to the cattle farm owners should be taken back at the earliest. The ACMPA should inform the cattle farm owners/tabela owners staying in Unit 1 to Unit 32 about the same and the Aarey administration will also send notice about the same to individual cattle farm owners soon. We expect the cooperation from the concerned people [sic]," reads the letter from the CEO. mid-day has a copy of the letter. ACMPA members met on Monday to discuss their next plan to tackle the new challenge.

A cattle farm owner, who did not wish to be identified, told mid-day, "We have been staying in the houses allotted to us for more than 50 years. How can they tell us to hand over the houses? Our association [ACMPA] has been doing good work for many years and we are confident that together we will discuss this issue with the government and arrive at a solution."

A source from Aarey Milk Colony said the cattle farm owners were given space to live on the premises and set up cowsheds to supply milk to the state-run Aarey Dairy. Over the years, the source said, the cattle farm owners stopped selling milk to Aarey Dairy as they get better rates outside. "First, they are not supplying milk to Aarey Dairy but occupying space inside Aarey Milk Colony. Second, Aarey Dairy is deep in losses and the government is trying to hand it over to another player. This is perhaps the reason the government wants the cattle farm owners to vacate the quarters," said the source.

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Some cattle farm owners have linked the decision to a Government Resolution that was brought out later on June 27. The GR was about the transfer or sale of government dairies and cooling centres to cooperative milk unions. After a copy of the GR was shared on social media, a section of users slammed the MVA government saying it might hurt cattle farms in Aarey.

100
No of people living in the quarters given to cattle farm owners