NMC to File Criminal Cases Against 3 Bus Operators Over Missing Parts, Seeks Rs32.39 Lakh Recovery Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) transport committee has decided to initiate criminal proceedings against three private bus operators for alleged irregularities involving missing bus chassis and onboard components. The decision was made unanimously during a meeting chaired by transport committee head Mangala Khekare at the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh memorial standing committee hall. The meeting, attended by committee members and senior officials from the transport department, marked a significant step in addressing discrepancies in the management of buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The issue stems from buses operated under the central government-funded JNNURM program, which enabled the NMC to procure 237 buses for its Aapli Bus city service. The civic body had contracted three Red bus operators, each assigned 79 buses for operations. As part of routine lifecycle management, 123 buses that had completed 15 years of service were processed for scrapping. These included 49 buses operated by one firm, 15 by another, and 59 by a third operator. However, during a detailed survey conducted prior to scrapping, officials discovered that several bus chassis and onboard components were missing. The NMC issued notices to all three operators seeking explanations, but none responded. This prompted the civic body to take legal action. Following an independent valuation by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the transport department quantified the losses and fixed recovery amounts. The first operator was asked to pay Rs16.99 lakh, the second Rs3.#nagpur_municipal_corporation #maharashtra_state_road_transport_corporation #mangala_khekare #red_bus_operators #jawaharlal_nehru_national_urban_renewal_mission
