Nagpur: The issue of non-payment of overdue amount of Rs 7.93 crore, passing through administrative topsy-turvy between Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Regional Transport Office (RTO), and recent intervention by the office of Maharashtra Chief Minister in public interest, has taken a new turn in which the NMC wants to lodge a criminal case against the Star bus service contractor Vansh Nimay Infraprojects for the latter’s failure to deposit Rs 7.93 crore with the RTO.
However, the deputy commissioner Sanjay Kakde is awaiting the return of NMC commissioner Shravan Hardikar who is on leave at present. As soon as he is back, the criminal proceedings shall be initiated against the erring contractor of Star bus service for his failure to pay the outstanding amount, said the sources.
Earlier developments in the case included slapping of RTO’s notice on NMC for payment of Rs 7.93 crore within 3 days from Saturday, July 11, NMC commissioner’s assurance to media that Vansh Nimay would pay the outstanding liability on time as soon as the contractor’s deposits were released by NMC, and the transport commissioner’s pressuring directives on RTO that if he failed to receive the overdue amount within 3 days, starting from Saturday, July 11, his annual increments on salary would be withheld, and the erroneous attitude of Star bus service failing to regularly deposit the said amount of money with the RTO, and not at all bothering to reply to the notice slapped on it by the NMC in this regard.
What is dramatically interesting to note is the date of service of notice, July 11 and the day, Saturday, and count of three days including Sunday, July 12. This is beyond common man’s understanding as to why three continuous days with no holiday or Sunday in between were not decided for the recovery. Thanks to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who asked the RTO not to put the citizens and school-going students into inconvenience due to stoppage on plying of buses from Monday, July 13.
The citizens want to know why the Vansh Nimay Infraproject has failed to deposit regularly the revenue generated from plying the buses in the city; and why the NMC did not pressurize the company for all these days until the RTO decision to stop the bus service from Monday, July 13. Let us watch how the NMC acts after return of its commissioner.
