NMC special general body not in favour of NIT’s restoration

NAGPUR: The city Congress is divided over the fate of local urban development authority — Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT). This came to the fore during the special general body meeting convened by mayor Sandip Joshi, which was aimed at countering the move on NIT’s restoration.
A section of party leaders, including guardian and energy minister Nitin Raut, demanded restoration of NIT. But most of the 29 Congress corporators, including leader of opposition Tanaji Wanve, favoured scrapping of the civic agency.
On Thursday, the BJP-ruled NMC passed a resolution stating that the city should have only one planning authority. Now, the civic administration will submit its say to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who on January 10 had sought NMC’s stand over Raut’s demand.
“Nagpur should have only one planning authority. As per the state government’s old order, NIT along with Gunthewari and other schemes should be handed over to the NMC. Excess NIT employees and officials should be absorbed in NMC and if they are not interested to join the civic body, then the NMC should take nod from the state government to appoint staff,” the mayor said while giving ruling after the marathon meeting.
As many as 34 corporators, including Congress corporators Darshani Dhawad, Manoj Sangole, Sanjay Mahakalkar, along with BSP and BJP corporators, participated in the discussion and all of them opposed restoration of NIT. Joshi said the minutes of the special general body meeting will be sent to the state government.
The mayor also directed the administration to form a special cell to resolve cases related to the Gunthewari Act by February 29. “A meeting of former trustees, senior corporators and all party leaders along with NIT chairman should be convened soon,” the mayor said.
“Nagpur should have only one development agency like any other city in the country or state,” was the general observation of corporators, who expressed concern over how two developing agencies are adversely affecting the city’s development.
Earlier, senior Congress corporator Sandeep Sahare informed the mayor that the special general body meeting over NIT could not be held as the dissolution issue remains sub-judice. It prompted the mayor to sought legal opinion and the administration clarified that the house can continue.
Former mayor and city BJP president Pravin Datke blamed NIT for destroying city’s planning by carrying out large-scale unplanned development works. “On the backdrop of this, it is the citizens who are forced to suffer haphazard development,” said Datke.
Endorsing that the city should have only one planning and development authority, senior Congress corproators, including Wanve and Praful Gudadhe, blamed the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government for the mess. Wanve justified Raut’s move as many citizens had approached him over pending works in the NIT and it forced him to approach the state government to restore the civic agency.
Gudadhe said the past BJP-led state government’s move to dissolve the NIT was just to garner votes in civic and state assembly elections.
Senior BJP corporator Dayashankar Tiwari defended the past government’s move and succeeded in cornering Gudadhe. He said the NMC has received CM Uddhav Thackeray’s letter seeking corporation’s opinion over restoration of NIT with missing pages. He demanded the mayor not to give ruling until the NMC receives the full letter.
Senior independent corporator Abha Pande informed the house that issuing just a government resolution cannot dissolve the NIT.
The first announcement to dissolve NIT was made in December 2016, just two months ahead of the NMC elections that were held in February 2017. The second announcement was made in August 2019 ahead of the state elections.