The Times of India       03.09.2012

Nagpur Municipal Corporation to lease out defunct conservancy lanes

NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation
(NMC) has decided to lease out the remaining conservancy lanes in city,
with total estimated area of at 20.76 hectares, to owners of adjacent
plots. The plot owners will get possession of conservancy lanes and also
FSI. The NMC will get some revenue and will ensure lanes are not used for nefarious activities.Additional deputy municipal commissioner Ravindra Kumbhare has implemented the system for the lease holders of NMC in four layouts Dharampeth, Congress
Nagar, Barse Nagar and Chimabaipeth where the state government had
already given sanction.

Kumbhare had prepared the proposal to cover the
entire city’s conservancy lanes estimated at 20.76 hectares under the
system and sent for the state government’s consent. Conservancy lanes in
other areas like Dhantoli had been absorbed into respective plots many
years ago.Giving details, estate officer DD Jambhulkar told TOI
that the citizens would benefit to a great extent. “There was no
underground sewage system in city till 1955. Conservancy lanes were left
at the rear side of houses to clean the sweeper service toilets in a
layout. The lanes became defunct with introduction of underground sewage
system after 1955. The lanes about 8 to 16 ft in width between two
residential lanes were either defunct or encroached upon.

Any
construction in the lanes is unauthorized and liable to be demolished.
Therefore, NMC decided to give the lanes on lease to the plot owners who
will also get FSI according to the area of lane, he said.Jambhulkar further said property holders will have to pay premium to NMC
according to the ready-reckoner rates. “Lease will be given for 30
years.

The NMC will charge ground rent from the lease holders,” he said.
He said that there were 3,728 lease holders of NMC in 20 layouts.
“Government had approved leasing out in four layouts. NMC had started
the process in these layouts. The remaining layouts will be carried once
government approval comes,” he said.NMC started zone-wise
camps to renew the lease of 3,728 plots. Jambhulkar said the camps were
conducted in Dharampeth and Nehru Nagar zones. “Remaining zones will be
covered in coming days. The lease of conservancy lanes will be issued
along with renewal of lease plots,” he said. Actually, the Government
approved the system of leasing out conservancy lanes in four layouts in
2008.

But the NMC officials were sitting on the system. Kumbhare came to
know of the approval and implemented the system now.Similarly,
the NMC has not renewed the lease of the plots for many years. The
leasing out of plots started from Barsenagar Chimabaipeth in 1907. NMC
failed to renew the lease after completion of lease period. Besides,
many lease holders either sold the plots to others without taking NMC
consent or began using them for commercial purpose. Kumbhare started the
process to check and renew the leases in the last few months. The NMC
is expected to get huge revenue from the process.