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NMC Turns Yearly Chore of Road Repairs Into Pre-Poll Gift

  • The BJP-Shiv Sena ruled Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) could not repair the targeted number of roads in four of its five-year regime, despite money being available for approved works. However, this financial year, just before the civic elections, it was suddenly able to take up all the pending road repairs and implement work orders, leading to sudden improvement in condition of roads across the city.The Nagpur Vikas Aghadi (NVA) had targeted expenditure of approximately Rs 350 crores for repair, re-laying and asphaltation of roads across the city from 2007 to 2012, but it could only set aside 39% of the funds for this job. Moreover, the coalition initiated maximum road works in current financial year, obviously to please voters.

  • According to NMC's PWD department, between 2008-2012 the civic body earmarked Rs 293.243 crore for road works across the city. However, it spent only Rs 115.86 crore.Strangely, just ahead of the civic polls, NMC earmarked huge funds for repair of roads. So far this year, NMC has spent Rs 33.14 crore for road works.In 2010-2011, the civic body had spent Rs 27.49 crore. In 2009-2010 and 2008-2009, the corporation had sanctioned Rs 30.54 crore and Rs 23.67 crore respectively for road works. However, not much of this money was spent in those years.

  • The NMC woke up and launched repair works of internal roads only in the last two fiscal. In 2010-2011 fiscal, the NMC spent Rs 25 crore for works on internal roads and in 2011-12, Rs 39 crore has been spent."There is nothing wrong with the construction work on roads as it was started long before the implementation of code of conduct on January 3," municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal has said to mediamen. He also clarified that the works going on have been sanctioned much before the code of conduct, but execution started late.

  • With corporation elections round the corner, civic authorities hastened the construction work of roads. This can be gauged from the ongoing works in different parts of the city. In fact, it came as a surprise for most Nagpurians. A majority of the residents said that had the elections been announced in the first week of February, the construction of road would have been delayed.Though Nagpurians welcomed the road works, they fear that it won't last as the civic body has never bothered to ensure quality works.

  • The civic body has miserably failed in penalizing contractors who construct or use poor quality materials for roads. "Contractors who carry out road work should be made answerable for damage within one year of the work. But the corporation has not acted against anyone for poor quality of work," said corporator Manoj Sangole. "In fact, it was the unholy nexus between ruling party and contractors that was preventing action against contractors who fail to carry out works properly," alleged the corporator.

  • Do you think the ploy of repairing roads at the last minute attract voters?

  • Yes, it will help the ruling party improve its image. Till recently we were forced to use roads full of potholes. In fact, road works going on at war footing should have commenced earlier.

  • Rajiv Jagtap, social activist

  • It was a pre-planned move to please voters. Apart from sudden roads works, civic body also tried to please voters by passing a contract to replace street light poles. Middle-class people may fall prey to these steps, as it's been over a decade that internal roads were constructed or repaired.

  • Amar Nagpal, businessman

  • Yes definitely. The facelift is going to make voters happy. However, NMC should ensure maintenance of roads with better coordination between government agencies like BSNL, MSEDCL etc, who hardly think before digging up new roads.

  • Kavita Rattan, environmental activist

  • Winter is not considered appropriate time for road construction. The work launched by NMC to relay or asphalt roads across the city was to take advantage ahead of the corporation polls.

  • Vishakha Mathur, teacher

  • The roads have been in a bad shape for the past many years and finally NMC has started the work, though for selfish motives. At least people will get smooth internal roads now.

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