Roads in bad shape but NMC focuses on gardens

Nagpur: At a time when the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has kept important civic works like strengthening of sewage network, asphaltation of pothole roads in Hudco Colony and many others areas on hold citing cash crunch, the standing committee headed by Virendra Kukreja on Saturday approved Rs1.94 crore works for constructing jogging tracks and other civil works in four city gardens.
“Of Rs1.94 crore, the state government will bear half of the expenditure,” said Kukreja. The amount has been sanctioned from district planning committee.

As per the public works department estimate, the NMC will spend over Rs61.50 lakh for constructing compound wall, jogging track and other civil works in Bajrang Nagar ground in prabhag number 32. Rs53.30 lakh works will be carried out in another playground in Old Subhedar Layout in the same prabhag.

The PWD department also planned to develop a playground at Prabhag number 34 by spending Rs24.20 lakh and another Rs54.20 lakh will be used to construct jogging track and toilets in Ramai Garden at Chandan Nagar (Prabhag number 31). All gardens and playgrounds selected are from South Nagpur assembly constituency.

The standing committee also approved the general administration department’s proposal to scrap tenders of one security agency – Industrial Security Services (ISS) – after it violated terms and conditions of agreements.

ISS was not paying minimum wages to the guards though it was a clause in the agreement. The panel rejected the proposal to scrap Kishor Agencies – another security agency firm – that had failed to submit labour licence despite reminders.

“The panel also rejected the general administrative department’s proposal to entrust Nagpur District Security Guards Board as one of security service providers as it was not ready to consider loss of property due to theft or any other reason. In the past, the NMC legal team also gave negative remark against the board on this count,” said Kukreja.

In all, the panel approved 45 proposals pertaining to development works worth over Rs19.26 crore.

Show cause notice

Standing committee chairman Virendra Kukreja on Saturday directed the civic administration to issue show cause notices to all assistant municipal commissioners of 10 zones for poor property tax collection. Kukreja said, as per Rs500 crore tax target, the zones have recovered Rs115 crore. Till date, the zones should have recovered Rs200 crore towards property tax.

Kukreja said as per the ongoing property assessment, the NMC can realize Rs722 crore from property tax this year. This includes Rs320 crore arrears and Rs402 crore from 4.30 lakh properties, he added.