Nagpur Municipal Corporation again lands in trouble over open spaces issue

NAGPUR: A query under Right to Information (RTI) Act has exposed the big lie of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) which has been making tall claims about taking possession of open spaces in layouts to increase its land bank.
Saptashrungi Vihar Owners Association, led by its secretary and RTI activist TH Naidu, has been fighting for the layout's open space reduced by the developer since last four years.TOI highlighted the issue and also brought to fore the brazen violation committed by NMC officials on December 11, 2012. Taking a note, additional deputy municipal commissioner Ravindra Kumbhare directed the town planning department officials to ensure possession of all open spaces in layouts sanctioned by the civic body. Kumbhare also passed directives for immediately undertaking measurement of Saptashrungi Vihar's open space by the city survey department.
Naidu told TOI that the town planning department officials gave him a copy of letter dated December 12, 2012, which was sent to City Survey Officer-3, at administrative building adjacent to Udyog Bhavan, Civil Lines. "In the letter, NMC had asked for measurement of open space at Saptashrungi Vihar as soon as possible. The letter's dispatch number is 1175 and undersigned by assistant director, town planning department," Naidu said.
Naidu added that he submitted an RTI application with city survey department on February 7, 2013. "I asked the department for any letters received from the NMC seeking measurement of open space at Saptashrungi Vihar or any other layout between December 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013. The department replied on March 4, 2013, clearly stating that no letters have been received from the NMC, neither for Saptashrungi Vihar layout nor any other layout," he said.
Sources in NMC said the letter has not been dispatched to the city survey department till date, raising several questions. Firstly, it proves that the NMC officials are still not taking the issue of open spaces seriously despite repeated directives from Kumbhare and even municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane. Secondly, was the NMC letter to the city survey department, which is not traceable, was just to cheat the senior officials and layout residents?
Kumbhare told TOI that it's a serious issue and he will have to go through the file. "I have asked the town planning department to bring the file of Saptashrungi Vihar layout. I will take serious action if Naidu's allegations are proven right. NMC is serious about open spaces in layouts and has already initiated process to take possession of few of them," he said.
Open to violation
According to information under RTI Act, Saptashrungi Vihar is spread over 5,700 sq mt and its open space is 855 sq mt (15% of total area). NMC accorded provisional approval to the layout plan on January 8, 2004, and also entered into an agreement with M/s Saptashrungi Developers Private Limited on January 30, 2004, through its directors Yashwant Kashetwar and Anil Kale. According to the agreement, the NMC was to get possession of the open space before release of final lot of plots by the developer. The layout plan was approved on January 10, 2005, for 28 plots. After many complaints, the NMC estate department took possession of only 722.509 sq mt open space on June 17, 2009, which itself is a big mistake. Also, the NMC has not taken any action against the developer despite several complaints. The open space has not been brought into public use yet.