A quiet yet high-stakes investigation is unfolding within Maharashtra’s Urban Development (UD) Ministry, casting a shadow over major infrastructure projects in Nagpur. The probe—kept under wraps and with no formal word to civic bodies—is scrutinizing whether key agencies like the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), and Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) falsely claimed land ownership to secure project sanctions.
Top sources in the ministry reveal that multiple land parcels flagged for development were either encroached, under dispute, or never legally acquired—violating a strict 2018 Government Resolution that bans work on unowned land.
“This probe hasn’t been made public, but files are moving and documents are being closely vetted,” a senior UD official disclosed.
The timing couldn’t be more explosive. With the Supreme Court paving the way for long-pending civic elections—set to take place within four months—the potential fallout has sent ripples through political and bureaucratic circles.
“This could turn into a scandal. If findings leak or action begins, it’ll hit the poll narrative hard,” admitted a senior NMC bureaucrat.
Adding fuel to the fire, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who helms both the Shiv Sena faction and the Urban Development Ministry, is overseeing the probe—raising eyebrows within political circles.
While no formal notices have been served yet, civic bodies are already in damage-control mode. If the audit confirms irregularities, not just projects, but political careers may be on the line.
As the clock ticks toward elections, a silent scrutiny threatens to erupt into a full-blown crisis—where paperwork, power, and poll ambitions collide.
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