Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s General Body Meeting had to be suspended four times by the Chairman (Mayor). Twice the General Body Meeting had to be suspended due to lack of quorum. Once the meeting started, the meeting had to be suspended due to the ruckus created by the members of the opposition party on April 18, 2016.
This was followed by the opposition raising big hue and cry over demand for immediate penal action (As per NMC’s Acts, rules and regulations) on all the half a dozen serious public interest issues raised by Opposition party (during last four years) and where the house had decided to take action against the erring parties. However, till date the NMC administration has failed to take any penal action on the erring parties so far for reasons best known to them. Chaos raised supreme as members of the opposition raised their voice demanding immediate action. Earthen pots were broken inside the house to draw the attention. In all this melee, all the subjects mentioned in the agenda of NMC-GBM held on April 18, 2016 was approved by majority votes agreeing to the subjects. All this approvals took only five minutes and the meeting was deferred indefinitely.
The subjects which were approved include
1. The works to be undertaken under the Dalit Basti Sudhar Yojana at Narsala-Hudkeshwar area.
2. Renovation and expansion work of Indora Buddha Vihar and Yatri Niwas (Bezon-Bagh) in Prabhag No 12.
3. Appointments of Officers and Staff (employees) in the Fire Department.
4. Handing over some part of the NMC School, Shantinagar to Police Department for running Shantinagar Police Station.
5. NMC GBM agrees to sign a 30-year pact with SAI: The members of NMC agreed on the setting up of a National Sports Training Institute in the city which was in the pipeline since long. The proposal was tabled in the GBM and the approval was received.
6. A proposal to make bio-gas from the dry and wet garbage collected from various sources organic (coming from Food Market, Slaughter Waste) and other dry garbage was tabled in the house. The proposal was ayed and approved.
7. Long pending promotions of Junior Engineers, Assistant Engineers (Grade-II) and Divisional Engineers numbering over two dozen.
8. Other miscellaneous proposals like AIDS Awareness Programme at KP Ground, and action over Sports and Cultural Complex under the MRTP Act 37 (1) etc.
It appeared as if the entire episode that took place in the General Body meeting was pre-planned and had the approval of members of both the opposition and ruling party. The enactment of the drama by the opposition and the ruling party making no noise and finally approving all the subjects mentioned in the agenda without any objections. If the opposition was so serious over more than half a dozen serious public interest issues raised over the last four years (with evidence), why did they chose not to resort to legal action (going to courts) is something raises many eye-brows.
– By Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha
