Nagpur Improvement Trust sends Nitin Raut’s land case to government 16 days before board clears minutes

NAGPUR: The Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has submitted the proposal seeking relaxation in its rule for allotting land to educational institution linked to former guardian minister Nitin Raut 16 days before the board of trustees approved the minutes.
On March 30, TOI had reported that the NIT administration had proposed to allot 23,664.79 sq ft of land located at Nari in North Nagpur to the People’s Progressive Education Society without inviting applications from anyone. This was on a written request from secretary Sumedha, wife of Raut.
Documents available with TOI show that Raut and Sumedha have equal investment of Rs 5,75,000 each in the society. Also, Raut too had written to NIT chairman Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi recommending the allotment. Raut, Congress MLA from North Nagpur, is president of the society too.
“The proposal was submitted to the government on May 31 and a reply is awaited,” said NIT officials.
The minutes of the meeting on March 30, in which the proposal was approved, were cleared on June 16. This means the proposal went to the government even before the minutes were approved.
BJP MLA from East Nagpur Krishna Khopde told TOI that as per NIT’s rules, the board of trustees has to approve the proposal first. “Then the minutes is tabled before the board. The decision is implemented only after the minutes are approved. This is a brazen violation. The government should set aside the proposal and conduct an inquiry why the NIT is in a hurry to give land to Raut,” he said.
However, Suryawanshi said the minutes are tabled before the board only for taking note of them. “The decision can be implemented before the minutes are approved. We are following the correct process. Now it is up to the government,” he added.
Khopde said, “I know of instances when the NIT has not implemented decisions citing pending of approval of minutes.”
Former NIT trustee Prakash Bhoyar said the NIT and government should not give land without giving equal chance to all interested institutions.