Published On : Fri, Mar 27th, 2015

RTI activist questions very need of Metro Rail in Nagpur, urges FDA not to extend help to ‘corrupt’ NMC

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The email sent to French Development Agency team currently on city visit by RTI activist Kamlesh Shah is certain to raise hackles in NMC circles and leave the top guns red-faced.

File Pic

File Pic

Nagpur: Questioning the very need of Metro Rail Project in Nagpur City, an RTI activist has urged the French Development Agency to desist itself from extending any financial help to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for the “non-feasible” project. “The city is not that big that this Metro Rail Project should be introduced to this city” was the punch line of a letter the RTI activist sent to the team of French Development Agency (FDA) currently on a visit to Nagpur. The letter has termed the NMC a “hub of corruption” the reason for which the FDA should think twice before funding the ambitious project.

The letter of the RTI activist is certain to raise hackles in NMC circles and leave the top guns red-faced.

The whistleblower, Kamlesh Shantilal Shah, an RTI activist, TRAP (Transparent Reliable Accountable People) Group of RTI activists, Nagpur, coinciding with the visit of FDA Project Coordinator Juliette Le Pannerer,  Programme Manager Sheik Diya, and Project Manager of Transport  Priesille de Connick, said in his email expressed his concern over the FDA plan to extend financial and other help to Nagpur’s Metro Rail Project citing several disgusting reasons.

The email says, “This Nagpur Municipal Corporation is a complete failure body in our city. There is a corruption in NMC at large scale. There are so much of violations in the city such as there is only 3% of occupancy certificates issued and moreover the development plan has been implemented is just 7% in 15 years, means 97% is in violation and they do not even bother to take action against the violators. This local body has completely messed the whole city. Most of the officers are just pocketing money only. Please be careful before giving financial support to NMC. We citizens just wants to live in neat and clean and healthy environment but NMC is making the environment miserable and congested for us to live. When we complain about this to them, they turn their ears deaf towards us. Please see by yourself only, the conditions of Nagpur. Ask the NMC Commissioner to give you a ride of CA Road, Kalamna, Itwari, Mahal, Gandhibagh, Nandanvan where public lives in large numbers. Ask them not to show you West Nagpur and show the remaining Nagpur,” states the email sent by Shah.

Shah further says, “I would suggest you don’t give financial help with blind eyes. Call for public suggestions at large scale. Talk to the citizens of Nagpur, you will come to know all the truth of NMC. They don’t even have money to pay salaries to their employees on time. Please take out data of last 4-5 years, you will come to know. Ask Shravan Hardikar, Municipal Commissioner, to give you the CAG reports of 1997 to 2015, if he doesn’t gives tell me, I will give you CAG reports, see by your eyes only the working of NMC. I would also like to suggest you to ask The NMC Commissioner to show you the historical ‘Nag’ river of Nagpur. They have converted this river into a sewage drain. In past 20 years, they have not done any development but are only making life of Nagpurians miserable by pocketing public money. There are penal orders for prosecuting Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor by Environment Ministry and even their deposited cash security in the MPCB was forfeited,” says the email ripping apart the NMC claims.

“Now, I doubt that they must not be showing you this part of themselves and Nagpur. If you give me chance, I would like to show, explain and discuss the nuances of this matter,” concluded the email sent to FDA team by the RTI activist Kamalesh Shah.

Shah is likely to forward the email the Chief Minister and NMC Commissioner as well.

It is pertinent to recall that the three-member team of the French Development Agency, which may fund city’s metro rail project, is on a visit to Nagpur and met Mayor Pravin Datke and other officials on Thursday.