The Times of India             03.12.2013

NMC seeks Rs 300-cr funds from govt

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Monday wrote a letter to the state government seeking aid of Rs 300 crore for Kumbh-related works during the current financial year. The grant is subject to approval of the assembly at its winter session due this month in Nagpur.

"The state government has approved Rs 350 crore for Kumbh under its urban development department for 2013-14. Of the total funds, Rs 300 crore is to be given to the NMC, while the remaining amount is to be given to Trimbakeshwar. The NMC has already started the tender process for Kumbh-related works amounting to Rs 487 crore on the basis of the grant to be received by the UD department for the current fiscal year. The NMC is still awaiting the funds, needed at the earliest as the tender process will soon be completed and the actual works will commence by December-end. The release of funds will help in speeding up the works," says the letter addressed to Shrikant Singh, principal secretary, urban development (II).

Sources from the urban development department confirmed receiving a letter from the NMC, seeking Rs 300-crore for Kumbh. "The letter has been forwarded to principal secretary Shrikant Singh," they added

Last month, the NMC had sent a letter to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan for funds.

On October 17, the apex committee on Kumbh, headed by the chief minister, had approved a plan of Rs 2,378.71 crore for the district, including Rs 1,052.61 crore for the municipal corporation. But even after one-and-a-half months, the NMC is yet to receive a single rupee.