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Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation is certainly going its ways on its whims and fancies, keeping the rules at bay. In yet another glaring example of its apathy NMC has sanctioned the layout and building plan of private people on the land of Nagpur Improvement Trust. The land in question measure 9,000 sq m and estimated to cost around Rs 30 crore.
Previously too the NMC has committed similar glitch in which it had sanctioned the flat scheme of a private builder on the land owned by the NIT at Swawlambi Nagar.
An NIT official from north division said that the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) department, city survey office and the NMC were responsible for it. “NIT had acquired 11.28 acres with khasra No. 176 at Mouza Nara in North Nagpur from private persons under Wanjri Housing Accommodation Scheme on June 27, 1970. The district administration had given possession of the land in 1972,” the official said.
“The land remained abandoned for years. NIT officials witnessed construction activities on some part of the land in 2011, which was stopped. Construction activities commenced again last year, but was stopped. A detailed enquiry revealed that the NMC had sanctioned layout of Yashodeep Housing Co-operative Society through its secretary Surendra Bhotmange on 96,840 sq ft land bearing khasra No. 176/1 and 176/2 in 2008 despite NIT being the owner in 7/12 records since 1970,” he said.
“The NMC also went on to sanction a flat scheme on around 15,000 sq ft. NIT lodged a complaint with the NMC and demanded to cancel the sanctions. The NMC had to give sanction as the applicant was shown as owner of the land in city survey records and also ULC Department’s NOC in the applicant’s name,” the official said.
He said now district collector Sachin Kurve, also competent authority of ULC department, cleared the NIT as owner of the land. “NIT also lodged complaint with that collector office and ULC department. The collector confirmed that NIT acquired the land and was the owner in 7/12 records. He also said that the ULC department’s NOC and non-actionable order should not be considered as ownership document,” he added.
As per details in collector’s letter dated May 24 to NIT chairman, Manohar Sonkusre and others had filed affidavits with ULC department under ULC Act on May 2, 2003. Accordingly, the department declared the case comprising 96,840 sq ft land as non-actionable on May 15, 2003. Also, the ULC department had issued NOC to Sonkusre and others through Yashodeep Society on August 16, 2007.
The NIT official questioned how can the department entertain and issue non-actionable case when the land was owned by the NIT. “With the help of ULC orders, the private persons mutated their names with the city survey office. The NMC sanctioned the layout and building plans seeing only the city survey records,” he said.
Surendra Bhotmange’s son Durin said NIT should regularize the plots and also constructions. “The society purchased the land from Sonkusre and got sanctioned 16 plots. The society sold all the plots of which one belongs to our family. Now, my family and owners of other plots are at a loss. NIT regularized similar plots but rejected our applications. We have filed an appeal with the state urban development department,” he said.
