Latest news with #Rs491.90
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Coffers empty, NMC seeks Rs412cr from govt as basic services affected
Nagpur: With the monsoon session of state legislature underway in Mumbai, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has submitted a supplementary demand of Rs411.86 crore, desperately hoping for a financial lifeline to keep critical civic works afloat. Of the total demand, Rs339.86 crore is earmarked for strengthening basic amenities like roads, drainage, and healthcare, while Rs72 crore is sought for flood rehabilitation works. "Contractors have already started submitting bills, expecting the civic body to reimburse them for the work done," confirmed a senior NMC official. In its latest plea to the state govt, the civic body flagged that payments have not kept pace with the progress of key infrastructure projects — cement concrete roads, hospital upgrades, e-libraries, and drainage systems — many of which are either complete or nearing completion. This isn't the first time NMC has knocked the state's doors. Previously, it sought Rs491.90 crore in pending funds for development works. In 2023, the state approved Rs708.09 crore, but only Rs296.11 crore was released so far — including a fresh tranche of Rs27.89 crore confirmed by the district collectorate last week. "The govt's selective and piecemeal release of funds is paralyzing our operations. Projects have stalled and contractors are getting anxious," said an NMC official. Among the worst-hit are the reconstruction works of retaining walls along the Nag, Pili, and Pora rivers — damaged during the 2023 flash floods. Though the state approved Rs204 crore for the flood mitigation project, most of the funds have not been released, forcing contractors to slow down or abandon the work, according to zone-level officials. Already, the civic body is facing public wrath over either incomplete or slow progress of civic infra works.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NMC demands Rs491cr from govt for completed projects
Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has again urged the state govt to release Rs491.90 crore in pending funds meant for civic development, accusing it of withholding sanctioned money even after several projects were completed. Despite approval of Rs708.09 crore since 2023, the civic body received only Rs296.11 crore to date, including a fresh tranche of Rs27.89 crore confirmed by the district collectorate on Friday. In its latest communication, the NMC has highlighted that many key projects—ranging from cement roads, drainage lines, hospital upgrades, to e-libraries and research centres—were either completed or are nearing completion, but payments have not kept pace. Officials warn that the lack of funds is crippling the civic body's ability to pay contractors and resume work on halted projects. A senior civic official, privy to the developments, said, "We have been following up repeatedly. The govt releases funds selectively and in instalments, causing major disruption in our planned works." North Nagpur—represented by Congress leader Nitin Raut for two consecutive terms—has not been allocated any funds from the sanctioned packages since 2023. This glaring omission has sparked allegations of political bias in the disbursal of development funds, especially as allocations have flowed more freely in constituencies held by the BJP, including former deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's stronghold in South-West Nagpur. In East Nagpur alone, projects worth over Rs318 crore were sanctioned, but only Rs58.75 crore released. Completed works, including a Rs5 crore package sanctioned in March 2023 and a Rs10 crore set of works from August 2023, remain unpaid. Similar delays are evident across South, Central, West, and South-West Nagpur, where multiple crore-worth projects await dues even as tenders are executed and works progress. A Rs40 crore allocation for Swargiya Prabhakar Datke Hospital and an e-library in Central Nagpur has seen only Rs10.96 crore disbursed. Likewise, a Rs26.40 crore research centre in Shankar Nagar, announced just before the 2024 assembly elections, has only received Rs7.29 crore. Adding to this, a special city fund of Rs20 crore allocated in August 2024 has seen a dismal release of just Rs2.98 crore. In Kamptee's Hudkeshwar and Narsala, out of the Rs15 crore sanctioned in October 2024, disbursal remains negligible. Interestingly, the work was sanctioned days before the state assembly elections. With civic elections on the horizon, the NMC's sharpened tone signals growing frustration and mounting public pressure. The continued delay in funding is now not just an administrative concern but a political flashpoint, with allegations of selective approvals and unequal treatment gaining ground.
