Ex-transport panel chief appoints nieces as bus TCs

Nagpur: In an act of nepotism, former Nagpur Municipal Corporation transport committee chairman Narendra Borkar appointed two of his two nieces as ticket checkers in the civic body’s transport department.
Documents with TOI show that Apeksha Madhukar Borkar and Mayuri Sudhakar Borkar were appointed during Borkar’s tenure as the transport committee chairman.
Though Borkar’s tenure ended in March this year, the NMC extended the duo’s service by six months, said a senior official from the department.
Borkar said Apeksha and Mayuri were appointed on merit. “It had nothing to do with I being their uncle,” he said.
Aapli bus programme manager Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) had a special squad of ticket checkers. But, Borkar created special posts to employ his nieces, citing the need of special women checkers for five women-only buses, department sources said.
The process to appoint Borkar’s nieces was initiated after he took charge as transport committee chairman in early 2020. The transport department then submitted a proposal to appoint them before the transport committee meeting was held on September 29, 2020 during which time Covid-induced lockdown was in force and the bus service was not operational.
The Borkar-headed committee okayed the proposal to appoint Apeksha and Mayuri on a monthly remuneration of Rs 20,000 for six months.
The duo joined the transport department as ticket checkers on November 2, 2020. Their six-month term ended on May 2, 2021, but it has now been extended till November 2, 2021 with a monthly raise of Rs 3,000. No NMc official was to speak on the development.
Senior corporator Abha Pande, who recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party, said the civic body should not appoint ticket checkers as DIMTS had contractual obligations to do the same. “Borkar could have given preference to party workers or residents,” she said.
Said senior Congress corporator Praful Gudadhe, “Appointing relatives is nothing but nepotism and misuse of power.”
City BJP president Pravin Datke said he is unaware of the issue and “will look into it”.