Nagpur: Nagpur Improvement Trust came up with its last budget for 2017-18 on Tuesday before its impending dissolution. As expected NIT has not included any new project in its final budget. It has merely allocated funds for ongoing works or those announced before the government decided to dissolve it.
The budget for the next fiscal envisages receipts of Rs959.40 crore and expenditure of Rs957.11 crore. The biggest provision is of Rs100 crore for the development of Nagpur metro region. NIT, however, has scaled down its Rs1,000 crore budget for 2016-17 to Rs604 crore. The reason: it earned far less than expected and got less government grants and allocations for schemes.
NIT chairman Dipak Mhaisekar said that the agency in its new avatar as Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) would focus on the development of Nagpur metro region. “We will develop the area within 8km of municipal limits in the first phase. The work of pooling land for two townships is going on while two logistics schemes are in the pipeline,” he said.
In order to provide building permissions in metro region, NIT has started using Auto DCR software. “We will set up a green channel to provide building permissions on industrial plots within 15 days. The applicant will have to pay extra charges but his work will be given priority. This channel will be available for residential and commercial constructions too,” Mhaisekar told the media.
NIT has planned to start four new regional offices in metro region so that residents of the area do not have to come to the city. The locations of these offices are yet to be decided.
Within city limits, NIT has sanctioned money only for already sanctioned projects. This includes Rs20 crore for the development of Buddhist circuit monuments — Deekshabhoomi, Kamptee Dragon Palace Temple and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s museum at Chicholi. A sum of Rs30 crore has been sanctioned for the development of Koradi temple, while Tajbagh Dargah will get Rs25 crore for beautification.
Among the recently started works, Rs20 crore has been set aside for light and laser multi-media show in Telangkhedi lake and light and sound show of Swami Vivekananda in Ambazari lake. Another Rs20 crore has been okayed for the construction a 2,000-capacity auditorium in memory of Vasantrao Naik and Rs12 crore for a convention centre in memory of Dr Ambedkar.
NIT has not forgotten its commitment towards Metro Rail and has kept aside Rs25 crore for it. So far, the agency has contributed Rs54 crore in cash and handed over eight of its eleven plots required for the project.
