Nagpur: Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijit Chaudhari on Monday said that Nagpur is set to enter a new phase of development with the cooperation of elected representatives and the civic administration. He was addressing the gathering after hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day at the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters ground.
Several senior officials were present at the ceremony, including Additional Commissioner Vasumana Pant, Chief Engineer Manoj Talewar, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer Sadasheev Shelke, Deputy Commissioners Nirbhay Jain, Milind Meshram, Dr Ranjana Lade, Dr Meghna Wasankar, Mangesh Khavle, Ganesh Rathod and Rajesh Bhagat, Superintending Engineers Lina Upadhye and Dr Shweta Banerjee, along with assistant commissioners, officers, employees, fire brigade personnel and students from NMC-run schools.
Gold Rate
28 Jan 2026
A platoon of fire brigade personnel welcomed Dr Chaudhari at the civic headquarters, following which he unfurled the national flag. The fire brigade personnel also carried out a ceremonial march-past. Dr Chaudhari inspected the platoon and accepted the salute.
Addressing the gathering, the Commissioner noted that Nagpur voters had recently demonstrated their faith in democracy by participating in large numbers in the municipal general election process. He expressed confidence that cooperation from public representatives would help make civic administration more people-centric. He also thanked all officials, employees and vigilant citizens who contributed to the successful conduct of the democratic process.
Dr Chaudhari said that during the Amrit Mahotsav year of the NMC, Nagpur has made significant strides on the development front and has emerged as one of the country’s developed cities. Efforts are being made to ensure citizen-friendly governance, he added.
He said that under the AMRUT 1 and AMRUT 2 schemes, efforts are underway to provide water supply in areas that currently lack the facility. Water pipelines are being laid and the number of water reservoirs is being increased to enable 24×7 water supply across more parts of the city.
Referring to environmental initiatives, Dr Chaudhari said the civic body has taken steps to implement pollution abatement projects for the Nag and Pohra rivers. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the NMC remains committed to providing affordable housing to the urban poor and is striving to maximise the number of beneficiaries.
Highlighting public transport initiatives, he said that the NMC has expanded its bus services, with 550 buses currently operating under the PM e-Bus scheme. Most of these are electric buses, which will help curb pollution. He added that several eco-friendly and sustainable development projects are also being implemented across the city.
On solid waste management, Dr Chaudhari said the removal of legacy waste at Bhandewadi is progressing rapidly. The NMC has successfully cleared over 50 acres of old garbage dumps and has developed a capacity to process 800 tonnes of waste per day. An ambitious project to process 1,000 tonnes of waste daily is expected to become operational soon.
He further said that quality roads are being constructed using the NMC’s hot-mix plant. Over 100 Arogya Vardhini Centres have been established, while six new English-medium schools are being started. The city’s beautification efforts include the development of theme-based gardens such as rock gardens, adventure gardens and vertical gardens.
Efforts are also underway to strengthen the fire department. Fourteen new fire tenders and a 70-metre-high hydraulic platform will enhance the city’s ability to tackle fires in high-rise buildings. A modern fire control room is also planned.
Dr Chaudhari said the NMC has introduced the ‘Smart Mitra’ chatbot to provide citizens with services related to property tax and assessments. The use of artificial intelligence in administration and updates to the civic website are aimed at making governance more transparent and accessible.
To strengthen the civic administration, long-pending recruitment processes have been completed, resulting in the appointment of nearly 400 employees through competitive examinations. Housing is being provided to sanitation workers, with work orders issued for nearly 400 houses. Steps have also been taken to extend the benefits of the Lad-Page Committee recommendations to eligible contractual employees, along with other employee welfare measures.
As part of the celebrations, students of Pannalal Devdiya Municipal School presented a patriotic dance drama. The Preamble of the Constitution was read out and a pledge was administered for leprosy eradication.
Earlier, Additional Commissioner Vasumana Pant felicitated Dr Chaudhari with a traditional stole and a Tulsi sapling. The programme was conducted by Public Relations Officer Manish Soni and Shubhangi Pohare, while Manish Soni proposed the vote of thanks.
