NMC seeks tech view to raze some stn flyover shops

Nagpur: After taking possession of 115 shops beneath the Nagpur railway station flyover, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation will now seek the technical team’s opinion whether it can demolish some of the shops even while the flyover above remains in use.
Following Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s proposal to demolish the existing flyover, NMC has been struggling to get the shops vacated. This is delaying the project of replacing the flyover with a six-lane road.
Confirming this, deputy municipal commissioner Milind Meshram said that of the 175 shops NMC has been able to take possession of 115 shops.
According to information obtained from NMC, since construction of the shops beneath the flyover, NMC had retained possession of 15 shops. It had issued notices to other shopkeepers to vacate the shops to pave way for the demolition of the existing flyover.
As proposed by Gadkari, MahaMetro will demolish the railway station flyover and replace it with a six-lane road. Gadkari had sanctioned Rs234 crore for Jaisthamb Chowk traffic improvement plan, proposed in 2018. However, due to opposition from shopkeepers, the project could not be started earlier.
NMC had issued final notices to vacate the shops in September 2021. It also organized a hearing, which was attended by 129 shopkeepers. NMC had offered the shopkeepers two options — shops in Metro complex or monetary compensation. Of the 129 shopkeepers, 44 availed Rs5.16 crore in compensation.
Of the remaining shop owners, 34 had moved court demanding compensation as per ready reckoner rates. NMC has till date shifted 72 shopkeepers to the Metro complex situated near Nagpur railway station. The shopkeepers were allotted shops in the complex with a draw of lots, which was organized four times in the recent past.
Now, the civic body has sought opinion from the technical team whether they can start demolition of the shops in NMC’s possession. “If we get technical nod that the demolition of shops will not damage the existing flyover, NMC will start the process without any delay,” Meshram said.