Meeting of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Standing Committee held on Friday witnessed exchange of ‘verbal fire’ as Opposition Corporators staged a walkout over violation of rules pertaining to functioning of the financial committee. The four Congress corporators objected to start of meeting without circulating the minutes of meeting as is the procedure. Abhijeet Jha, he represents Prabhag 12, the Gittikhadan area, referred to section 454 of Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Rules, which specifies that any meeting, that of general body, standing committee or other subject committees, cannot take-up agenda without first confirming the minutes of previous meeting.

 

However, Chairperson Shivani Wakhare overruled the objection wherein Jha said as per Rule 11, it governs the proceedings, states that members must be given opportunity to raise objections, if any, as to incorrect on incomplete entries. Vociferous corporator Wasim Khan said such unilateral functioning of Standing Committee, by-passing norms is violation as per the rules and procedure. He was joined by other members including Maristella Usre and Abhishek Shambharkar calling upon Chairperson to conduct the meeting as per the rules. The Congress corporators are otherwise miffed as they claim that ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is misusing their majority to deprive their Prabhag of development funds. Further Jha sought to know from Municipal Secretary, Dr Ranjana Lade, as to how a proposal originally mentioning Prabhag 14” was subsequently recorded as Prabhag 14(A), seeking categorical answers from latter.

 

He also sought to know whether any proposal mentioning 14(A) was placed before the Standing Committee, and if same was approved. But Dr Lade could not clarify the matter even as Jha further sought to know if the Chairperson has the authority to alter the record of an approved proposal. The lone AIMIM-IUML nominee Aslam Khan chose to stay neutral and continue to attend the meeting as Congress corporator boycotted the meet calling it functioning as unconstitutional. Chairperson Responds: Responding to the development, Shivani Wakhre informed the newspersons post meeting that from next meeting the minutes of meeting would be confirmed first as per the rules. The Congress corporator's claim is that Chairperson is indulging in alteration of minutes of meeting and hence she is not ready to conduct the meeting as per the rules. Without commenting on the irregularity, Wakhre stated henceforth in future meeting, the rules would be followed. Asked about allegations about compulsion of cover letter of Standing Committee Chairperson for sanctioning works, she clarified that same was necessitated to regulate the funds usage in NMC. Since passage of budget about three months back, it came to notice that administration was unilaterally sanctioning the projects. So to avoid paucity of funds for corporators it is now made clear that unless Standing Committee clears the file, the funds for any project are not to be sanctioned.

 

Further the letter ensures that the elected office bearers are not left looking at administration for funds and also Standing Committee is well aware of the project, the formality is introduced, Wakhre added. Civic body to pay Rs 3.22 cr for water audit, find causes of water losses: The Standing Committee approved a proposal to appoint a consultant for carrying out survey in city to determine cause of water losses and also go for water audit. For the same NMC, Shivani Wakhre, said they finalised the contract at Rs 3.22 crore and the agency would be carry out survey in city as same is necessary to ensure that minimum 135 litre/day water is supplied in population of less than 50 lakhs a per Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) norms. The water losses admissible is only 13 per cent, while that in city are far in excess, hence its imperative to undertake the exercise, she added further. Cement road work goes for 41.56 per cent below estimated price: Contractors in a bid to bag the works are placing insanely low bids, raising concerns over final quality of development projects of NMC.

 

Two contacts finalised by Standing Committee relating to cement roads saw winning contractors bidding 37 to 41 per cent below the estimated price. The stance of Standing Committee in finalising the contracts is in sharp contrast as in its first meet they had returned such files when contractors bid abnormally low to get the work orders. In Dharampeth Zone, M/s Chandan Pahade quoted 41.56 per cent below for cement road proposed in Prabhag 12 at Makardhokda for which NMC estimated price at Rs 1.34 crores. But the contractor was awarded the work at Rs 65.38 lakhs, raising issue whether the estimates drawn-up by NMC was proper or the contractor is taking calculated risk. Abhijeet Jha, Congress corporator, and a Civil Engineer himself, said, the indicators are not very good and demanded quality test be undertaken before clearing the bills for the cement road.