Nagpur Society, Real Estate News, ET Real Estate

Nagpur: after report about Harpur land scam in which the chief minister Eknath Shinde Had to withdraw its order, office bearers of Swami Swaroopanand Cooperative Society in Narendra Nagar claim that an open space in Somalwada was “allotted to a builder” Nagpur Improvement Trust in 2012.

Following their complaint to the Lokayukta, the Urban Development Department (UDD) asked the NIT to conduct an inquiry in 2021. Even under investigation process, a 7-storey building residential The building has come on the spot. It is manufactured by M/s. Ankit Construction In which Kishor Kanhere, former NCP and current Shiv Sena leader, is a partner as per the NIT’s note to UDD. Kanhere was one of the five politically connected trustees on the NIT board from 2009-14.

The 43,040 sq ft open space is part of the layout of the society and was in an abandoned condition as of 2018. It was only when construction of the 84-flat scheme began that residents realized they were set to lose the open space. So he complained to the Lokayukta.

Society members told TOI that they have all relevant documents to prove that residents of the area have been denied open space.

On February 2, 2021, the UDD directed the chairman of the NIT to conduct an inquiry and submit an action taken report. “The NIT approved the layout on 16th January, 1985. It is learned that the NIT has approved the layout of M/s Ankit Construction on 17th May, 2012 and on 30th September, 2013 the open space and roads of the approved layout of the Society But the building plan has been approved. , The revised building plan was approved on June 19, 2018. In fact, the NIT has not observed its earlier restrictions while approving layouts and building plans. Therefore, preliminary verification indicates that the building plan has been approved on the open space of the layout. Irregularities have been noticed while granting development approval to M/s Ankit Construction,” reads the UDD letter to NIT.

The three-member inquiry committee – general manager, assistant director of town planning and law officer – is yet to submit its final report. Meanwhile, the chairman of NIT wrote to the UDD on July 19, 2021 that “a departmental inquiry will be conducted against the officers/officials who approved the layout and appropriate action will be taken”.

“NIT took possession of the open space on January 22, 1991. The sale of open space seems to have been done. People engaged in sale deed will also be questioned,” he wrote.

Though Kanhere told TOI that his being on the NIT board had nothing to do with the approval, records show that his firm got all approvals when he was a trustee. “I am the owner of the land. I have submitted all relevant documents and paid the fee, after which NIT verified and approved me. I am a builder by profession and was already in this business before becoming a trustee. I have come The construction work was going on for the last 4-5 years but the office bearers of the society remained silent and now they are raising this issue.

As reported earlier by TOI, the NIT had allotted its land in Harpur to 16 persons, though it should have been auctioned as per the law. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told the High Court that he was not informed that a petition related to this land was pending in the High Court.