NAGPUR: On the one hand the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has issued transfer of development right (TDR) for lands which may not be utilized for years from now while on the other hand, it did not issue TDR for a piece of land which was utilized ten years ago. In this case, the beneficiary Shivkumar Agrawal has been made to run from pillar to post for no reason.
The NMC is yet to utilize many of the acquired lands for which it issued TDR many years ago. In one case, the NMC issued TDR of whopping 35,887.50 sq mt by acquiring land reserved for playground at Wathoda in November 2010. The NMC also issued TDR of 4,453.42 sq.mt acquiring land for Town hall at Chinchbhuvan in December 2010 despite no requirement.
In Shivkumar Agrawal’s case, the NMC took possession of his 133.20 sq.mt land at Ravi Nagar square on August 1, 2002, and utilized it within few days for road widening. However, the NMC is yet to issue TDR to Agrawal for the same.
“The then municipal commissioner Chandrashekar assured to issue the TDR within a week. I submitted the application with all the required documents on August 2, 2002. I was asked to resubmit the application in the prescribed format on August 5, 2003. Three-four municipal commissioners have changed since then but the application is still pending. Today, the land price at Ravi Nagar Square is around Rs10,000 per sq ft. The value of TDR if issued now will be under Rs3,000 per sq ft. My precious land is being utilized for the last ten years now but I am yet to get the TDR,” he said.
“After reading TOI’s reports, I was shocked to learn about the other TDR cases approved by the NMC,” said Agrawal, adding that municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane has assured to clear the proposal. “I submitted the details to Wardhane on September 3. Hopefully, he will clear my case,” he said.
However, this may not be an isolated case. Corporator Alka Dalal told TOI that she had raised this point in the general body meeting.
Shocking as the NMC approved TDR of 35,887.50 sq.mt for land not under utilization but delayed the TDR of only 133.20 sq.mt for the land utilized ten years ago. This case may add to the murk in TDR scam. The NMC entertained builders and traders but not genuine applicant like Agrawal who is a common man. The NMC even approved the TDR cases of builders and traders within few months of receiving the applications.
