The Times of India 24.09.2013
Nagpur Municipal Corporation to serve another notice as Scientific Society fails to reply
NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is likely to serve another show cause notice to Scientific Cooperative Housing Society for illegally allotting parking space meant for its community hall near Aath Rasta Square to Purti Super Bazaar, a group run by former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari.
The civic body had dispatched the first notice to the Laxmi Nagar-based society on September 10 while asking it to submit a reply within a week, but it apparently failed to do so even after 13 days.
Assistant commissioner with Dhantoli Zone Mahesh Morone told TOI that he had not received any reply till Monday evening and would dispatched another one if the society failed to respond. "We're also seeking documents related to the supermarket from various offices like NIT. If we find anything illegal in them, we will straightway initiate action," he warned.
Interestingly, the society's secretary Arvind Gadhikar informed that they had submitted a detailed reply on Monday evening. He refused to divulge details saying that he was in an important meeting. But Morone clarified that he had checked all postage before leaving the office and hadn't received any reply from the society.
Members in the BJP-dominated society, who didn't wished to be named, told TOI that the executive committee of the BJP-dominated Scientific Society had conducted closed door talks with Gadkari's Central India Multipurpose Cooperative Society which operates the Purti Bazaar. The meeting was attended by society chairman Vishwas Khot apart from Gadhikar. Both sides decided to explore the ways to allegedly suppress the records by manipulating documents and also "managing" NMC officials, ruled by the saffron party.
Even efforts were made to regularize Purti Bazaar which was paying a paltry rent of Rs65,000-Rs 70,000 per month against market price of Rs2.25 lakh. All such efforts were made keeping in mind that Gadkari would be contesting the next year's general elections from the city and nobody wants any controversy over his name, the members alleged.
The members are planning to corner the society office-bearers, particularly Khot, Gadhikar and others, over the issue during forthcoming annual general meeting (AGM) on September 29. They alleged that total mismanagement and massive corruption by those at the helm of affairs resulted in massive losses to the society coffers.
The civic body's inefficiency can be gauged over the fact that they took over a month to issue the notice after TOI exposed how the residents were facing innumerable parking problems as visitors to the hall parked their vehicles in front of their homes.
The corporation sought an explanation from the society while asking them to submit a copy of sanctioned map of the entire building housing the flats, hall and parking area along with ownership documents. Even the society had issued a notice to Purti to vacate the premises earlier in 2006 but failed to take any action under apparent pressure of the former BJP chief.
"We're also seeking documents related to the supermarket from various offices like NIT. If we find anything illegal in them, we will straightway initiate action," Mahesh Morone, assistant commissioner, Dhantoli zone, said.
Snowballing controversy
- NMC issues first notice to Scientific Society for illegally allotting parking space to Purti Super Bazaar.
- Society fails to reply within the deadline set by the civic body.
- Society secretary claims a detailed reply has been submitted.
- Dhantoli Zone says no reply was received till Monday evening.
- Society members conduct closed door meeting with Gadkari's Central India Multipurpose Cooperative Society which operates Purti Bazaar.
- Both sides decide to explore the ways to suppress the records to clear the ex-BJP chief's name.
