Mayor: Form Kumbh coordination panel for NMC & NTKMA

Nashik: Nashik mayor Himgauri Aher directed the civic administration on Monday to constitute a Kumbh Mela Authority coordination committee to improve communication between elected representatives and the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority.The panel will include senior corporators with experience of previous Kumbh Melas and senior officials of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). The directive was issued during the General Body meeting after members from across parties alleged that corporators were kept in the dark about Kumbh-related works and agencies appointed to execute key projects.Corporators protested on the rejection of major road proposals critical for managing the expected surge in vehicular traffic during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. While the civic administration had proposed 70 road projects, the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) approved only 28.According to officials, the civic body proposed construction of roads spanning 240 km at an estimated cost of over Rs3,000 crore. However, the NTKMA cleared only 28 roads with a combined length of 117.41 km at a cost of Rs1,270 crore. Similarly, of the 17 bridges proposed across the Godavari River and its tributaries, only 4 received approvals."We have requested the Kumbh Mela Authority to grant approval for the remaining 50 roads covering 123 km for Kumbh Mela," commissioner Khatri told the House.City engineer Sanjay Agrawal said Nashik has a road network of around 2,400 km and, as per norms, roads are required to be re-laid every three years. "Due to financial constraints, we could not take up relaying work after Kumbh in 2015. Hence, 240 km of roads were proposed this time. However, approvals have been granted for only 117 km," he said.