NMC refuses action against city bus operator

NAGPUR: In a sudden volte-face, NagpurMunicipal Corporation (NMC) administration has refused to allow action againstcity bus operator Vansh Nimay Infratech Ltd, stating that the matter wassub-judice.Mayor Archana Dehankar had constituted a fifteen-member committee in January to inquire into allegations levelled by several corporators against the bus operator. When the committee met for the third time on Saturday, municipal secretary Harish Dube submitted a letter to committee chairman Anil Sole that the meeting could not take place and the panel could not recommend any action against the operator as the matter as a case was going on in the High Court. This letter was sent to Dube by traffic engineer Nasir Khan.This infuriated opposition members Vikas Thakre, VedprakashArya and others who asked why the administration had raised its objection whenthe committee was formed. They demanded suspension of Nagpur Mahanagar ParivahanLimited (NMPL) director Mahesh Morone for misleading the NMC House. Nasir Khan'ssuspension was also demanded for exceeding his brief in writing theletter.The corporators demanded that legal opinion should be soughtas to whether administration's stand was legally correct but ruling partycorporators did not agree to this.In a general body meeting inDecember, BJP corporator Raman Paigwar and opposition corporators had alleged amajor scam in handing over the buses. Paigwar had pointed out that the thenmunicipal commissioner Aseem Gupta handed over 240 JNNURM buses worth Rs 44crore to Vansh Nimay on payment of just Rs 14 crore. The remaining 30 crore wasgovernment grant. On the other hand, NMC had incurred an expense of Rs 40 croreon account of insurance cost, RTO taxes, etc.The all-party committeehad met twice for discussing the issue but nothing concrete transpired. Aconcrete decision was expected in the third meeting but the administrationblocked it.Reacting to this development, Paigwar charged that theadministration was favouring the operator. "How can they decide whether thecommittee has no powers in this case? The case being heard by HC has been filedby a company, which felt that it had been unjustly denied an opportunity to runthe buses. Legal opinion should be taken immediately," hedemanded.