MVA govt orders probe into BJP-ruled NMC’s project

Nagpur: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Tuesday ordered inquiry into BJP-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s garbage-to-compost project at Bhandewadi dumping yard. Urban development department minister Eknath Shinde assured action against NMC office-bearers and officials, if found guilty.
On the second day of budget session of the state legislature in Mumbai on Tuesday, West Nagpur MLA and Congress city president Vikas Thakre raised the issue and alleged Rs250 crore loan scam by the project operator Hanjer Biotech Energies Private Ltd and various irregularities by NMC office-bearers and officials.
BJP MLA from Central Nagpur Vikas Kumbhare and six others have also signed the question raised by Thakre.
Replying to the query, Shinde said, “Inquiry will be conducted at the level of divisional commissioner and responsibility will be fixed. Those found guilty will be brought to book, be it office-bearers or officials.”
Thakre claimed that Hanjer has duped Punjab National Bank of Rs250 crore and CBI has already started an inquiry. The project operator availed loans citing garbage projects in Nagpur and other cities. However, it utilized most of the loan amount for other purposes, he claimed.
“Hanjer took a loan of Rs50 crore for Nagpur project though the value of the existing plant at Bhandewadi dumping yard is less than Rs50 lakh. NMC had paid Rs18.89 crore to Hanjer ignoring the fact that the operator could not process even 200 metric tonne (MT) garbage of the total capacity of 600 MT,” he said.
Thakre also said that NMC was supposed to get entire plant free of cost in March this year, but Hanjer, in nexus with NMC officials, removed all machineries from the yard.
“NMC has deposited its share of compensation with the NGT, but Hanjer has not,” he pointed out.
In written reply to the query, Shinde said, “Hanjer had submitted fraud bills of Rs18.89 crore to the NMC and received money. The Nagpur municipal commissioner has informed that the operator has even dismantled the plant and took away all machineries without the permission of the civic body and sold the scrap.”
Shinde also revealed that Hanjer did not operate the plant for 544 days between October 29, 2013 and June 21, 2018, for which the NMC levied a fine of Rs2.11 crore on the operator. “NMC has stopped paying tipping charges of Rs330 per MT to the operator from October 2016 and the civic body has not disbursed Rs1.10 crore to Hanjer,” Shinde said.
Thakre pointed out that NMC general body had constituted a committee to probe the matter. “Even after five months, the committee has not submitted the report. Action including suspension and registration of FIR should be taken against the then mayor, office-bearers and officials,” he demanded.