Nagpur: West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre has called for an investigation into the government’s claims of spending Rs 200 crore on preparations for hosting the two-day C20 Inception meeting in Nagpur, according to a report in local English daily.
Participating in discussion on the State’s budget during the ongoing legislature session at Mumbai on Tuesday, Thakre also expressed concerns about the inconvenience caused to citizens, loss of livelihood for hawkers, and damage to the environment while decorating the city to host the event. He questioned the authorities about the benefits gained by the city from such a huge expenditure.
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Thakre, who is also the Nagpur City Congress President, demanded that the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s functioning should be monitored by the government, which is currently being headed by an administrator. He raised concerns about the problems faced by citizens due to the absence of Corporators, as the civic elections have not yet been held, the report said.
According to the report, Thakre also brought to light the plight of the hawkers who had incurred losses due to the insensitive actions of officials, who had thrown away their goods, including sugar cane, under the pretext of getting the city ready for the C20 meeting. He demanded action against the officials who had covered the historic Vitthal Rukmini temple with hoardings, which he considered to be against the culture of conserving religious structures.
Thakre further pointed out the problems caused by city buses parked on roads, causing traffic congestion, pollution, and inconvenience to commuters. He called for funds to be sanctioned for a city bus terminal, renovation of existing crematoriums and kabrastans, and the development of new facilities.
Further, Thakre informed the House about the Ambazari Lake, which was covered with hyacinth and weed, and the garden meant for the public, which was handed over to a private operator and is being neglected along with the lake. Other legislators also termed the act of covering the temple as shameful.
