Poll code eased, NMC set to get down to work

Nagpur: After the announcement of the poll results, the Election Commission has relaxed the enforcement of the model code of conduct in Nagpur. With this, Nagpur Municipal Corporation can carry out routine civic works.
Confirming this, district returning officer Ashwin Mudgal told TOI that the code of conduct was relaxed at 1.30am after he handed over the winning certificate to victorious candidate and sitting MP Nitin Gadkari.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had made a requisition to the election commissioner on relaxing the enforcement of the model code of conduct in the state after the last phase of polling was held on April 29. Even municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar had approached the district returning officer Ashwin Mudgal to allow the NMC to carry out emergency works. The civic chief had approached Mudgal and sought relaxation of the model code of conduct to float tenders for various projects of the civic body.
Though Mudgal had allowed the NMC to tackle water scarcity, he did not allow the NMC to open tenders to purchase electric buses under Tejaswini scheme along with the appointment of two agencies for door-to-door garbage collection.
A senior NMC official said before the code of conduct came into force, the NMC had invited tenders and it had also received applications for procuring five electric buses but it got delayed by almost three months. Now, the civic authorities would open the tenders and can go ahead with its plan to operate five electric buses on city roads soon.
Similarly, the NMC will also invite expression of interest to appoint two agencies for door-to-door garbage collection in the city.
The poll code relaxation would help the state government and municipal corporation to carry on its normal development works in the state and the city.