Nagpur: A controversial food plaza construction project in Veer Savarkar Nagar Garden, near Chhatrapati Chowk area in Nagpur, is under scrutiny as the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court issued notices to the authorities concerned, on Wednesday. T
he notices were issued to the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), and District Collector in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the vigilant residents of Veer Savarkar Nagar who decried the unauthorised development of this Food Plaza.
Gold Rate
05 April 2025
The division bench of Justice Atul Chandurkar and Justice Vrushali Joshi have ordered the respondents to provide their responses within two weeks. A group of vigilant residents including Dr Rajesh Savarkar, NG Savarkar, Hemant Ambalaskar, Rajabhau Naik, D K Bangale, Mukund Bangale and Sudhir Zade have filed the PIL in the Court.
The PMG Office Staff Cooperative Society holds a layout at Veer Savarkar Nagar, Khamla Road, with Khasra No 44 and 48 Mouza Ajni granted on January 28, 1969. The Veer Savarkar Nagar Garden, sprawling over two-and-a-half acres, has been a cherished public space for residents from Veer Savarkar Nagar, Vivekanand Nagar, Dev Nagar, Vikas Nagar, Gawande Layout, and Central Excise Colony.
The garden serves as a place for morning and evening walks for senior citizens and a recreational area for children, stated the applicant in the PIL. However, the peace of the garden has been disrupted by the ongoing unauthorised construction of a food plaza. A formal complaint was lodged against this encroachment on May 12, 2023 after which the District Collector ordered an inquiry.
Despite these actions, construction of the Food Plaza is on. As a result, the residents approached the court to intervene. The court has summoned the defendants to present their response within two weeks. Adv Arun Patil represented the citizens while Adv Sudhir Puranik appeared for NMC.
