Nagpur: Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari has made serious allegations against a controversial builder, whom he refers to as “self-declared administrator and encroachment hero” Praful, in connection with the ongoing London Street project in Nagpur. Tiwari has demanded that the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) rename the project “Encroachment Veer Praful Street” in recognition of what he called “blatant favoritism and misuse of public land for private gains.”
According to Tiwari, the NMC had received 34.45 lakh square feet of land free of cost from the Ordnance Factory Ambazari in 2008, on the promise that it would be used to develop civic amenities such as public markets, gardens, schools, and hospitals. However, this land—stretching across 5.5 km of railway track from Wardha Road to Yashoda Nagar—was instead entirely diverted to a commercial project titled ‘London Street’, with major plots allegedly auctioned in favor of a single builder: Praful.
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29 May 2025
Tiwari claims that plots 1, 1A (near Jaiprakash Nagar Metro Station), 4, and 5 (in Khamla) were handed over to the builder under questionable circumstances. In the process, existing public markets were removed, and commercial complexes and flats were constructed. Even more troubling, he said, is that public utility (PU) land and footpaths were illegally encroached upon.
Tiwari accused Praful of operating like a parallel authority in Nagpur. Just days ago, he reportedly evicted vegetable, fruit, and meat vendors from roadside platforms in Sitabardi, Khapri, and Jaitala Bazaar areas and erected tin enclosures without legal approval. “Shockingly, the municipal administration was seen following his instructions as if he were an official administrator,” Tiwari said.
He further alleged that Praful falsely claimed ownership over the entire 34.45 lakh sq ft stretch and invoked the name of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to legitimize his actions. “If Praful’s claims are valid, then the NMC must officially name the road after him and call it Encroachment Veer Praful Street,” Tiwari sarcastically demanded.
Raising further questions, Tiwari said, “When I inquired who this builder was, I was told that no one except ‘Vikibhau’ can operate in the Devabhau constituency. Praful has set up base in Indore and is definitely not our ‘Praful Gudhe’ of Congress, who is loyal to his party and not welcome in BJP strongholds.”
He also criticized the failure to establish proper markets in CM Devendra Fadnavis’s own South-West Nagpur constituency, where roadside vendors still struggle for space. Despite large-scale land allocation, the promise of developing basic civic infrastructure remains unfulfilled, he said.
Tiwari raised concerns about how Praful is managing to carry out large-scale construction without paying mandatory charges such as premiums or security deposits. He has called for a thorough investigation into the builder’s financial sources and the NMC’s alleged complicity.
“This is not just a case of encroachment but a massive betrayal of public trust. The entire London Street project has become a one-man show benefiting a builder at the cost of Nagpur citizens,” said Tiwari, urging senior BJP leaders like Fadnavis and Gadkari—both known for their integrity—to intervene and take strict action against such elements misusing their names.
