Nagpur: Once again, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has sanctioned a private flat scheme on land owned by Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) and reportedly reserved for a veterinary hospital. The said plot is located at The Process Server Cooperative Housing Society at Swawlambi Nagar, mouza Bhamti in South-West Nagpur. The sanction was given on the basis of a document issued by the city survey office. Calling it a land scam, NIT has asked city survey office to cancel the document and take action against its employees.
The office bearers of the society have also described it as a major irregularity and demanded cancellation of the building plan sanction along with action against NMC officials.
Refuting the allegations, NMC assistant director of town planning Pramod Gawande, who gave the sanction, told TOI he did not have any idea about reservation on the land. “Sanction was given after following due process. I will have to check the documents about the reservation issue,” he said.
Documents obtained under RTI by the society show NMC had sanctioned flat scheme of Prayag Developers on land owned by Nalini Bute on December 2, 2015. Seeing construction on the land, NIT issued notice to the developers, pointing out that it owned the land, which was reserved for a veterinary hospital. The society too had lodged complaints with NMC demanding cancellation of the sanction.
On December 30, 2016, the then municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar had cancelled the sanction for various reasons. The developers and Bute had filed a writ petition in the high court, which dismissed the case on April 24, 2017.
The HC order said, “If the measurement is complete, and if anything turns on the basis of the said measurement, the parties would always be at liberty to apply to the commissioner for passing appropriate orders, and the commissioner would be bound to pass appropriate orders in accordance with the law after hearing all the concerned parties.”
Then, the developers submitted a document known as ‘Ka prat’ that proves ownership of land, and is issued by city survey office. Following this, the civic chief started hearing of all parties from September 2017. The society and NIT submitted relevant documents proving the land was owned by NIT and reserved for veterinary hospital.
President of the society Sanjay Nakhate told TOI NMC did not complete the hearings, did not pass an order, but again sanctioned the flat scheme’s building plan on May 29. “NMC asked Bute and developers to submit revised building plan on March 8. A day before NMC’s letter, the developers submitted a revised plan, which is also suspicion. Society and NIT were not asked to submit their says. This is contempt of HC,” he said.
Alleging a land scam in the case, NIT’s letter dated May 11 issued to city survey office demanded cancellation of the document, and action against all employees related to the case. The NIT also called it contempt of HC. On July 11, NIT issued a notice again to Bute, directing to stop construction as building plan was rejected by civic chief.
Shashank Pande of Prayag Developers did not respond to TOI’s call and message.
