Budgeted projects still on paper

NAGPUR: With just two months left before financial year 2009-10 ends, several projects announced by Nagpur Municipal Corporation's standing committee in the annual budget are yet to come on the drawing boards, with implementation still years away. Standing committee chairman Pravin Bhisikar had announced, among other projects, shopping malls, power generation company, CNG project and construction of concrete roads in the city.
Bhisikar admitted to TOI that 10 months after the budget, neither has work on any project started nor has the tendering process begun for any project."Municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta has assured to start tendering process on various projects after tabling the revised budget in February," Bhisikar said.
He attributed the delay in the projects to the election code of conduct enforced twice in the last year, first during the Lok Sabha and then during the state assembly polls. "Due to the code of conduct, we could not start work on any project for almost four months," he added.
The projects announced by Bhisikar in the annual budget promised to generate a whopping Rs 1,120 crore income in the next 30 years. The money spinning projects included build-own-transfer (BOT) projects of new shopping malls, modernisation of octroi posts and parking facilities at Tilak Nagar and Gokulpeth by covering nullahs.
In the budget Bhisikar had also announced a scheme to modernise octroi posts and transport plazas at Wadi, Hingna, Khapri and Pardi. He had planned new shopping malls at Dik Dispensary, Dharampeth, Budhwar Bazar, Kelibag Road, Sakkardara, Sarafa Line Itwari, Santra Market, Ghat Road, Loha Oli, foodgrain and vegetable market at Itwari, Dhantoli Zone office, fire station at Ganeshpeth, Ramnagar Hill Top and Lakadganj overhead water tank.
The budget also proposed new vegetable, fish market and shopping complex in place of the old dilapidated structure at Mahatma Phule Market, and commercial, residential, entertainment zones and social amenities on the lines of London Street on defence land between Wardha Road and Hingna Road. Bhisikar had also suggested modern hospitals and shopping complexes at Devadia dispensary in Quetta Colony, Minimata Nagar, Buty Dispensary in Sitabuldi, Sadar dispensary, Panchpaoli maternity home and Isolation Hospital.
The other included construction of health clubs and recreation centre at Nidham Park near Raman Science Centre, development of Gandhi Sagar lake with facilities for boating, water sports, refreshment centre and beautification of lake. The standing committee had also suggested modernisation and beautification of Samarth Stadium (Chitnavis Park) and construction of modern slaughter house at Bakramandi in Mominpura.
Bhisikar said, "Work on some projects was started by the civic administration. I will call for details of each project from the departments concerned and put them up before the standing committee soon."
Inquiry into optical fibre cabling
Standing panel chief Pravin Bhisikar has asked officials to conduct an inquiry into grant of permission to private telephone operators for laying optical fibre cable network in the city by the Hot Mix Department. Telephone operators have laid nearly 140km of optical fibre cables illegally in the city.
As per NMC rates, Rs 3,500 per km should have been charged for using the NMC duct and the hot mix department should have recovered Rs 8 crore for this. However, the department has shown income of just Rs 3.22 crore. Bhisikar said NMC has laid over 1,120km long ducts in the city and giving permission to private operators could help NMC get revenue of Rs 280 crore.