Covid patients ‘damaged, stole’ items worth Rs50L in police flats

Nagpur: The police department has submitted to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) a list of items costing over Rs50 lakh that were either damaged or stolen from its new flat scheme at Pachpaoli which was first used as a quarantine centre and later as Covid Care Centre (CCC).
The materials were allegedly damaged and stolen by Covid-19 suspected and positive patients. According to NMC officials, majority of the damage was done by people who were quarantined during the first wave.
NMC did not execute works in the last seven months citing lack of funds. Now, families of cops have no option but to take possession of the flats after doing the repairing and cleaning work themselves.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi, who confirmed receipt of the list from DCP (headquarters) Sandip Pakhale on Friday, told TOI that the NMC’s public works department has been directed to prepare a proposal seeking funds from the district planning committee (DPC). “We are hopeful of that as the flats were used for Covid management,” he said.
Along with the list of items, Pakhale has also sent copy of a letter dated February 10 addressed to municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B. It mentioned that 196 flats were taken over for quarantine centre on April 25, 2020, and around 6,000 persons were quarantined there till January 24. The flats were vacated and handed over to police after patients were shifted to other centres, the letter mentioned.
Pakhale mentioned in the letter that all the taps in C, D, E and F wings have been stolen and materials kept in kitchen, cupboards, fans etc have been damaged while the walls have been stained due to spitting.
As per the letter, police department wrote to NMC Ashi Nagar Zone on February 2 to carry out repair works. “Then, a joint inspection was done by NMC and police to ascertain the damage. A list of items has been prepared. Therefore, I request you to repair the damaged items and carry out cleaning work through your department,” wrote Pakhale.
On Saturday, TOI visited the flats in seven wings and found that even blades of ceiling fans in some flats are bent. Right from electric boards to furniture, the damage is huge.
Three police personnel and their family members were white-washing and cleaning their flats.
“The entire flat scheme was ready last year and we were allotted flats. It was the responsibility of NMC to hand over the flats after repairing and cleaning. But we can’t wait more. Around nine families have got the works done themselves before shifting to the flats,” the families said.
The NMC did not even repair the water pump at one of the wings due to which there is no water supply in 28 flats, they said.
Last month, a thief was caught for stealing some taps, fans etc from the flats.
LEFT IN A MESS
* In April 2020, NMC took over police flats to quarantine suspected Covid patients
* It was made Covid Care Centre during peak of first wave and operated till January
* Police found materials damaged and stolen from flats, garden ill-maintained
* NMC has not done repairing and cleaning works since February
* Police submitted a list of items stolen or damaged to NMC on Friday
* Cops peg loss at Rs50 lakh
* NMC to submit proposal for DPC funds for repair, cleaning works