NAGPUR: Home minister Anil Deshmukh has asked municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to conduct inquiry and take proper action in allegations levelled by NCP state vice-president Vedprakash Arya on Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) private water operator Orange City Water Pvt Ltd (OCW) and fate of two pieces land situated at Gorewada lake in West Nagpur and Nara in North Nagpur.
Arya met Deshmukh and submitted a memorandum on which the minister wrote the remarks and his office sent it to Mundhe.
In the complaint, Arya said NMC had made profit of Rs 3 crore from drinking water supply in 2010-11. NMC engaged OCW in 2011-12. Since then, NMC has incurred a financial loss of around Rs 600 crore. OCW was supposed to complete the project and ensure 24x7 water supply to entire city in 2017.
Arya said even now many areas were getting water supply for just 30 minutes and round-the-clock supply remained a distant dream despite expenditure of crores sanctioned by the central and state governments.
“Till 2012, drinking water was being supplied through 220 water tankers. Now, the number has increased to 422 instead of city becoming tanker-free. There is need for a detailed inquiry as to why NMC continues to support OCW despite huge losses and failure of 24x7 water supply project,” he said.
Arya, a former corporator and NCP group leader in NMC, added, “NMC had handed over 65 acres land worth around Rs 600 crore adjacent to Gorewada lake to a private company free of cost. Apart from loss, any project coming on this land may cause damage to lake as well as environment.”
Arya also said there was need for an inquiry into planning going on to change reservation on 130 acres land situated at Nara. “Reservation of social and financial development of backward class is on the land for decades. Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) had floated a tender in 2003 for developing a national-level park on this land but it was dropped. Some people have planned to change the reservation on it in new development plan of the city which is under preparation,” he added.
Arya met Deshmukh and submitted a memorandum on which the minister wrote the remarks and his office sent it to Mundhe.
In the complaint, Arya said NMC had made profit of Rs 3 crore from drinking water supply in 2010-11. NMC engaged OCW in 2011-12. Since then, NMC has incurred a financial loss of around Rs 600 crore. OCW was supposed to complete the project and ensure 24x7 water supply to entire city in 2017.
Arya said even now many areas were getting water supply for just 30 minutes and round-the-clock supply remained a distant dream despite expenditure of crores sanctioned by the central and state governments.
“Till 2012, drinking water was being supplied through 220 water tankers. Now, the number has increased to 422 instead of city becoming tanker-free. There is need for a detailed inquiry as to why NMC continues to support OCW despite huge losses and failure of 24x7 water supply project,” he said.
Arya, a former corporator and NCP group leader in NMC, added, “NMC had handed over 65 acres land worth around Rs 600 crore adjacent to Gorewada lake to a private company free of cost. Apart from loss, any project coming on this land may cause damage to lake as well as environment.”
Arya also said there was need for an inquiry into planning going on to change reservation on 130 acres land situated at Nara. “Reservation of social and financial development of backward class is on the land for decades. Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) had floated a tender in 2003 for developing a national-level park on this land but it was dropped. Some people have planned to change the reservation on it in new development plan of the city which is under preparation,” he added.
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