BJP corporators support Datke, rap town planning dept

Nagpur: Four BJP corporators from Prabhag 29 on Tuesday came out in support of MLC and former mayor Pravin Datke who had been facing criticism for allegedly using foul language against assistant director of town planning department Pramod Gawande over road widening work in New Narsala. They claimed the department was hushing up irregularities in sanctioning maps.
Corporators Swati Akhatkar, Bhagwan Mendhe, Vidya Madavi and Leela Hathibed representing the ward said Datke had not used any foul language against Gawande. Akhatkar, who was in a conference call with Datke and Gawande, said the city president had only requested him to visit the site as some irregularity in department’s function had stalled the widening work.
“Actually the pen-down strike by NMC officials, especially by town planning department, was a move to hush up massive irregularities,” said standing committee chairman Vijay Zalke.
Zalke told reporters the road widening project was very important for the people in Mhalgi Nagar to New Narala and Besa power substation. Former district guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had sanctioned Rs7.50 crore for it. The state’s public works department also started the work but it got stalled some seven months ago.
According to Zalke, the road widening was part of city’s Development Plan since 1986. Even during revision of the development plan in 1993, this road was retained.
After frequent follow-ups, PWD resumed work. However, suddenly one Ajay Dorlikar cropped up and claimed the road was 12 metre only not 18 metre wide. “According to Dorlikar, NMC’s town planning department had sanctioned his plot in 2004, which he will lose if the road becomes18-metre wide,” he said. Zalke also pointed out before the road works started, the state’s PWD had carried out the survey and no hindrance was found then. “I have also asked the department to cross-check Dorlikar’s claim,” Zalke said.
Zalke and Akhatkar claimed the town planning department had committed many such irregularities. They said it had sanctioned construction of a multi-storey building over sewage trunk line.