Mumbai, May 1 (IANS): As Maharashtra turned 52 Tuesday, the government said it would provide low-cost housing to mill workers and free houses to kin of mill workers who died during struggle for a state for Marathi-speaking people.

"The government has decided to provide 6,948 houses to mill workers at reduced and affordable rates, at Rs.7,50,000 in multi-storeyed buildings. The government will also give free houses to the survivors of the mill workers who lost their lives in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement," Governor K. Sankaranarayanan said at a function held to mark the state's 52nd anniversary here.

He spoke about the government's initiatives and said the drought in the state was being tackled on war footing.

the governor said the state soon would have national investment and manufacturing zones, a youth and sports policy and a sports university.

He also spoke about the new Maharashtra Housing (Regulation & Development) Act, 2012.

Maharashtra's 52nd anniversary coincides with the birth centenary of the state's first chief minister Y.B. Chavan and the International Labour Day or May Day.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other ministers attended the function.

They also paid floral tributes at Hutatma Chowk, a martyrs' memorial in south Mumbai - a monument raised in memory of those people who died during the 1950s movement demanding that a state for Marathi-speaking people be carved out from the State of Bombay and incorporate all neighbouring Marathi-speaking regions.