17-acre ghat land ‘vanishes’: Borkar flags Smart City role, seeks probe

Nagpur: Ruling party leader Narendra Borkar on Tuesday alleged a massive land reduction in the city's cremation ghat reservation, claiming that nearly 17-17.5 acres earmarked in the Development Plan (DP) shrank to barely 1.5-2 acres under the Nagpur Smart City regime.Addressing a press conference, Borkar stated that the Pardi ghat — used by residents of areas such as Pardi, Bhandewadi, Punapur, and Bharatwada — is now severely congested. "If four people arrive at once, two have to wait. This is the condition of a facility that sees lakhs during peak rituals," he said, referring to large gatherings during last rites.He claimed the original DP had a 35-acre reservation, of which around 17.5 acres were specifically meant for ghat development. "Once Smart City became the planning authority, the reservation was altered without clarity. Officials themselves were unaware whether the DP reservation still existed," said Borkar.Raising serious questions, he demanded to know how the land was "handed over" and whether private interests were involved. "Who gave away the land? Under whose orders was the reservation cancelled?" he asked, adding that even senior officials failed to provide satisfactory answers.Borkar said the issue was raised in a meeting chaired by Mayor Neeta Thakre in the presence of East Nagpur MLA Krishna Khopde and standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani, where directions were issued to explore legal options to reclaim the land and expand the ghat. He also indicated that legal recourse, including appointing a lawyer, was being considered.Expressing frustration, Borkar said, "The real story is the disappearance of land meant for last rites. This is about dignity in death."He sought a detailed probe into the role of officials and the Smart City administration, warning that accountability must be fixed if irregularities are found. Following Borkar's demand, Mayor Neeta Thakre directed the civic administration to initiate a probe into the matter.