Published On : Sat, Jun 27th, 2015

‘NIT must drop 15% development charges, or face strong public agitation’: Vedprakash Arya

Advertisement

qyuh1ix83tk8stcj.D.0.NIT005
Nagpur.

Alleging misuse of fund raised by Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) under the pretext of 15% extra development charges from the residents of 572/ 1900 lay-outs on the outskirts of city, former NMC corporator Vedprakash Arya has demanded immediate scrapping of 15% development charges, and cautioned the NIT that if it failed to do so, a strong public agitation would be launched against NIT, and also the doors of court would be knocked.

It may be mentioned here when Arya, with a demand to conduct independent probe into the misuse of fund raised through development charges of 572/ 1900 lay-outs by NIT, had approached NIT chairman Shyam Wardhane, just two days ago, this issue was made so sensational that Wardhane had to listen to the demands of Arya in the presence of 3-4 dozen police personnel in the NIT premises.

Tabling various points of demand, Arya asked Wardhane as to from whom the NIT would recover exceeding 15% development charges where the works more than the already collected development charges had been done. Pointing out anomalies, he further said that the development charges were collected from residents at varying rates as 16% and 22%, and later 11%, but the development works had not been on their layouts while the development works had been done on those layout for which the development charges were not paid by their residents. Arya stressed the need — i) to explain it to the public, ii) order a high level probe into it so that the erring officials might be punished, and iii) the rule of 15% development charges which are being collected from residents must be immediately scrapped.  If the demands are not met with, a strong public agitation would be launched, he cautioned the NIT chairman, adding, for which the NIT would be solely responsible.

Arya brought to the notice of NIT chairman that the residents of 572/ 1900 layouts had deposited the development charges according to ‘gunthewari’ rule. He further told the chairman that as per available details the NIT had got Rs 163 crores as development charges from 572/ 1900 layouts while the NIT claims that only Rs 16 crores are left with it.

Arya further clarified to Wardhane that the NIT had done only nominal development work on those layouts from where the development charges were fully received, and it had done full development work on those layouts from where no development charges were received.  He openly told the NIT chairman if such anomalies were not removed and defaulting officials were not to taken to task, the aggrieved would approach the court of law against this double-standard policy.

It is worth highlighting here that the NIT collected development charges in year 2006 from the builder of Rajat Heights Residential and Commercial Complex, Koradi Road, at the time of sanction of the construction-map, but till now not a single-rupee-worth development work is done. Such a 10-year long period would have accrued double the amount if he had deposited in the bank, Arya pointed out.

He apprised the NIT chairman of the fact when residents of the Rajat Heights repeated their demand for development by NIT, one Niyaz Ali from NIT’s Vashali Nagar office told the residents that they would be required to pay the charges of maintenance on whatever development works NIT would do; and the charges might amount in thousands of rupees. The NIT would do the needful if the residents agreed to pay, Niyaz Ali added, but he was silent on the question asked to him about the interest accrued on the deposits of development charges.

– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )