Scrutiny Freeze: Audits Stuck For 6 Years In Most NMC Depts Nagpur: Financial oversight in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has effectively collapsed, with audits in the majority of its 22 departments remaining pending for six financial years, from 2018-19 to 2023-24. Official records indicate that for the 2022-23 fiscal year, audits were completed in only three departments—market, enforcement, and water works—raising serious concerns about the monitoring of NMC expenditures and revenues during a period marked by repeated allegations of financial irregularities. The six-year delay coincides with the administrator’s rule in the civic body from March 2022 to January 2026, during which no elected representatives were part of the corporation. During this period, former corporators and political leaders repeatedly accused the administration of mismanagement in multiple departments. Allegations included awarding works to contractors quoting up to 40% below estimated costs, followed by later increases in project expenses through the addition of extra items. Irregularities were also reported in DPDC-funded works and questionable decisions in the garden and sports departments. Senior BJP corporator and lawyer Sanjay Balpande, who accessed the documents, claimed the prolonged audit delays suggest a deliberate attempt to conceal financial misconduct. He argued that timely scrutiny would have exposed several controversial decisions made between 2018-19 and 2023-24. The NMC audit department’s communication confirms that audits in most departments—including property tax, general administration, town planning, health, education, electrical, garden, social welfare, and fire services—remain pending from 2018-19 to 2023-24.#sanjay_balpande #nagpur_municipal_corporation #dharampeth_zone #laxmi_nagar_zone #nmc_audit_department
Gandhibagh Zone Inaction Slows Fire Response in Nagpur A critical administrative failure has emerged in Nagpur’s municipal operations after the fire department highlighted severe access issues at a temporarily relocated fire station, raising alarms about emergency preparedness in a densely populated commercial area. The Ganjipeth Fire Station, which was moved to a vacant municipal school building near Model Mill Chowk in the Gadikhana area, faces operational challenges due to restrictive entry conditions. In a March 11 letter, station officer S Sayyed informed the assistant municipal commissioner that the main gate of the premises is too narrow for fire engines to navigate, forcing three firefighting vehicles to remain parked outside the compound. This has compromised the station’s ability to respond swiftly to emergencies. Despite repeated requests from the fire department to widen the gate and remove a road divider blocking access, the Gandhibagh zone office has taken no action. The urgency of the situation became evident on Sunday when a fire broke out at a two-storey building in the Handloom Market complex within the Gandhibagh area. The blaze, which started around 1pm, destroyed the office of advocate Shrichand Kundwani, damaging computers and furniture. While residents and traders managed to prevent the fire from spreading, the response required coordination from multiple stations. Station officer Sayyed and his team arrived at the scene, but additional fire tenders had to be dispatched from the Cotton Market and Civil Lines stations due to local congestion. Local leaders, including corporator Sanjay Balpande and BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari, visited the site to assess the damage.#shrichand_kundwani #sanjay_balpande #dayashankar_tiwari #gandhibagh_zone #ganjipeth_fire_station
Lawyer’s Office Damaged in Gandhibagh Building Fire A fire broke out on Sunday afternoon in a two-storey handloom market building in Gandhibagh, Nagpur, reducing the furniture and a computer in the office of lawyer Shrichand Kundwani to ashes. The incident occurred around 1pm, and no one was present in the office at the time. Firefighters from the Ganjipeth fire brigade, led by officer Syed Shaukat Ali, arrived at the scene after receiving an alert. Additional fire engines were dispatched from Cotton Market and Civil Lines to assist with the extinguishing efforts. Local corporator Sanjay Balpande and BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari visited the location to assess the damage. A police report was filed at the Tehsil police station. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Ganjipeth fire station has temporarily relocated to a closed NMC school building at Model Mills Chowk due to its narrow entrance, which has raised concerns about the difficulty of accessing crowded market areas during emergencies. Officials have acknowledged the challenge this poses for emergency response teams. The incident highlights the vulnerability of commercial spaces in densely populated areas, where fire safety measures and accessibility for emergency services are critical. While the lawyer’s office was the sole location affected, the broader implications of the fire underscore the need for improved infrastructure and preparedness in such environments. Authorities are expected to review the situation and consider long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.#shrichand_kundwani #syed_shaukat_ali #sanjay_balpande #dayashankar_tiwari #ganjipeth_fire_brigade
