Nagpur: Launched 20 years ago, the Mihan-SEZ was expected to witness a flurry of development of basic facilities. But, today, the facilities are gasping for breath. Years of neglect has led to the facilities crumbling one by one, according to media reports.
The reports said that the companies functioning in MIHAN are fed up with affairs of the authorities. Nobody listens to them. Nobody sits in Nagpur Office and the files sent to Mumbai gather dust. Files remain stuck for 2-2 years, people get upset and shift their units somewhere else. On one hand the companies are demanding expansion of facilities and on the other hand, the pathetic MADC officials are making things more complicated. Those coming to the companies are facing buffalo-cows every morning and evening, due to which serious accidents are happening many times.
In the meeting of stakeholders called on Monday, January 23, by the Development Commissioner, the representatives of the companies vent their anger against Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC). The representatives said that the problems being raised are not being addressed and thus companies are in a fix, the reports said.
The meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Development Commissioner V Shraman. Representatives of 20-25 companies attended the meeting. The common complaint of most of the delegates was that there was no one to listen in the MADC Nagpur office. For 7-8 months the files are rotated from here to there and finally the work is postponed.
Adverse effect on investment:
Many entrepreneurs lamented in the meeting that even after waiting for 2 years, they were not allotted land, due to which they had to shift to another place. The investment coming in MIHAN went elsewhere. Some people said that the approach road has not been constructed due to which they are not able to start the work of the unit for 5-7 months. MADC officials keep adopting an evasive attitude. Its main purpose has been to keep the file hanging. This is the reason why people are now feeling troubled.
Not even the toilets in good condition:
Even the toilets of the main building are not repaired. The youths who are working in many companies feel embarrassed to go to the toilet. Even if the companies want to get it rectified, approval is not given. The word has spread among the youths and many people have started shying away from coming. There is no canteen facility. Tables and chairs have been left in the name of the canteen. One has to bring food from home and eat here. There is no arrangement for breakfast and water here. Interested people are also not given approval. They threaten to cut off electricity and water on reminders.
Herds of cows and buffaloes on the roads:
The representative of MRO said that his employees have met with accidents many times. Far from fixing the plane, he had to be sent to the hospital. This is a big problem. Letters were given to MADC several times but nothing was done. A representative said that cows and buffaloes enter inside the companies. On being taken out, the local people abuse and threaten. That’s why there is an atmosphere of panic among the company operators. In a place like MIHAN, this type of environment sends a bad message to investors.
Everyone was of the opinion in one voice that the Nagpur office of the MADC has been paralysed. There is no work here, so the Vice Chairman-cum-Managing Director (VC-MD) must come to Nagpur at least once a week. His arrival can solve many problems. But he didn’t come. When he comes, no one knows anything. In such a situation, nothing can be good for MIHAN. Today the people who have invested are also worried and those who are willing to invest have also become worried after running from pillar to pillar.
Need of the hour to bring youth brigade:
The demand of the people present in the meeting was that it was the need of the hour to appoint a youth officer to streamline the work and to give MIHAN its identity. The command should not be in the hands of a retired person. Only youth officers will be effective in marketing, branding and giving a new identity to MIHAN.
No effort to increase greenery:
No effort is made to increase the greenery. On behalf of Green Foundation Nagpur, a proposal was made to the officials from VC-MD to Nagpur for tree plantation in the entire campus, the file kept circulating but the decision could not be taken. Even today the MIHAN campus looks desolate. Nishant Gandhi demanded to give approval as soon as possible. On this, the heads of many companies supported and said that it is necessary to make serious efforts to increase the greenery in the MIHAN campus.
Those present in the meeting include Chatterjee of MADC, Devendra Parakh of VED, Shivkumar Rao, Naveen Mallewar, Nishant Gandhi, Manohar Bhojwani, Shantanu Puranik, Purohit, Kothari, Manohar Korde, Narendra Aggarwal, Ajay Uttarwar, Dilip Patel, Anchal Suri, Bipendra Revatkar, Tushar, Ujawane, Roshan Kolte, Narayan Rathi and others.
