NAGPUR: BJP-ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s plans to hand over city service to MahaMetro is being opposed by Congress and BSP.
While ruling party corporators welcomed the proposal, corporators from opposition asked if MahaMetro was such an efficient agency why not transfer the entire NMC operations to it. NMC transport department’s proposal to give city bus operations to MahaMetro will come up before transport committee on February 25.
According to BJP corporators, the move will save Rs 100 crore of taxpayers’ money every year. “This amount can be used for development works,” said standing committee chairman Vijay Zalke. NMC incurs approximately Rs 7 crore loss every month since it started the city bus service through three red bus operators.
The combination of Metro Rail and Aapli Bus will definitely work wonders, said former transport committee chairman Bunty Kukde. Apart from feeder buses, MahaMetro may operate shuttle buses across the city. MahaMetro can run the service along with Metro well, he said. The civic body will also provide its depots to MahaMetro. He also added all city buses should be converted into CNG or electric. The city will set an example of operating eco-friendly public transport system, he added.
“The move will definitely promote public transport in the city. Usage of private vehicles will come down and there will be less traffic on city roads,” Zalke said.
Senior Congress corporator Praful Gudadhe said it exposes the ruling BJP’s inability to run the civic body. First they privatized door-to-door garbage collection service, then water supply, and are now planning to hand over public transport. A few BJP netas in the city want all NMC departments to be privatized for their vested interests, he alleged.
“Actually, public transport should never be compared with any profit-making service. Across the world, it makes losses,” he pointed out. “If MahaMetro is so capable, why do not the BJP netas hand over the entire civic body to them,” asked Gudadhe.
Congress corporator Nitin Sathawne, who is also member of transport committee, claimed the move was to help MahaMetro, which was already incurring loss. “I will oppose the proposal during the meeting,” he claimed.
BSP corporator Mohammed Jamal said Metro Rail was already in loss. “If run properly, the civic body could generate profit from the city bus operation,” he said pointing out the NMC is yet to finalise advertisements for 360-odd red buses and also pay and park scheme that could help it to run the public transport system smoothly.