Published On : Sat, Jun 20th, 2015

NMC general body meet concluded sans any concrete decision on major issues

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Nagpur.


 In the general body meeting of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) held on June 20, the controversial issues like ongoing Hukka parlours and Ramai Housing Scheme scam were discussed, but no concrete decision was taken. However, the NMC Mayor and the NMC administration assured the house about suitable measures to be taken soon.

It may be mentioned that be it the NMC general body meeting or any specially called meeting, the members of the NMC house never show seriousness to discuss the public issues, and the proceedings get affected. The June 20 witnessed the same fate, and the Mayor was required to withhold the proceedings twice for want of quorum.

However, when the house-proceedings resumed, Congress-corporator Sandeep Sahare tabled the issue of gross financial irregularities committed in Ramai Housing Scheme under Asinagar Zone. He pointed out that as many as 53 beneficiaries of the scheme obtained the pay-order producing bogus BPL cards and bogus signatures. He alleged that ward officer Harish Raut, the then zonal committee and Sahara Bahu-uddeshiya Sanstha were involved in the scam. He also informed the house that the FIRs in 17 out of 53 bogus cases had been registered with Pachpaoli police station.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, NMC Mayor Pravin Datke entrusted the responsibility of a probe into the issue to NMC Commissioner Shrawan Hardikar and urged him to submit his report within 15 days. According to Sandeep Sahare, with 35 out of 53 proposals bogus certificates have been attached and as many as 18 proposals bear the forged signatures of officials. He also demanded action against ward officer Raut as he might meddle with the evidence. At this Mayor ordered Raut to proceed on leave until completion of the probe.

Over the issue of ongoing two dozen hukka-parlours in the city, when Corporator Prakash Totwani demanded ban on them, the NMC’s health department raised its hands terming it as outside its jurisdiction.

Irritated over the reply of health department, Totwani questioned the NMC, when the LBT notices could be slapped on poor pan-thela-wallahs and encroachment drive could be initiated against small (tapri) shop-owners why the NMC failed to slap notices on hukka-parlours, which are causing social pollution. In reply the NMC’s health department told Totwani that it is the police department which should act against the hukka-parlours, that too under sections 110 and 117 Cr PC. Intervening the issue, Mayor Datke told Totwani that the NMC would send a proposal to the state government to seek powers to act in public interest.

NMC

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