Nagpur: The Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (NMRCL) is facing scrutiny and criticism over its failure to meet commitments made to the Central Jail administration regarding land acquisition for the construction of metro rail pillars and associated infrastructure. The land, totaling approximately five acres and valued at Rs 99.45 crore according to ready reckoner rates, was procured from the Central Jail five years ago, casting doubt on transparency and accountability in Nagpur’s public infrastructure projects, particularly those managed by the NMRCL.
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Wednesday 02 Oct. 2024
The Central Jail administration has consistently sent reminders to the NMRCL regarding the unmet promises but, no avail. During a recent visit to the Second Capital of the State, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Prison, Amitabh Gupta, expressed his concern, stating that the NMRCL had indeed acquired the land from Central Prison but had not fulfilled the promises made during the 2017 meeting. This situation raises questions about accountability in public infrastructure projects and the need for transparency in fulfilling commitments made to stakeholders.
File Pics taken from Metro
It is pertinent to mention that, the acquisition of this land came with a series of promises made by the NMRCL during a meeting held on January 10, 2017, involving key stakeholders. Attendees included Yogesh Desai, then DIG Prison; D M Ramtekkar, then Chief Project Manager, NMRCL; Dilip Savarkar, DGM, Land, NMRCL; G K Nandanwar, General Manager, NMRCL; and Dilip Jamgade, then Engineer, NMC. These commitments were intended to ensure that the Central Jail’s interests were protected in exchange for the land.
File Pics taken from Metro
Among the promises made were commitments to increase the height of the compound wall and to install a view cutter along the metro track to safeguard the privacy of the prisoners. Additionally, the NMRCL pledged to construct a 10-foot high fence across the agricultural land of the jail and a dedicated underpass to facilitate the passage of tractors. Infrastructure developments, including cement concrete roads, 100 quarters for jail staff, a well, and two borewells, were also part of the undertaking. However, recent reports have highlighted NMRCL’s failure to fulfill these commitments.
Instead of delivering the promised infrastructure, the NMRCL has only erected walls on either side of the road and constructed a foot overbridge, falling short of the underpass that was originally agreed upon.
… Shubham Nagdeve
File Pics taken from Metro
