Serious allegations of corruption have surfaced against the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Sports Department after it floated a ₹43 lakh tender for the renovation and development of a skating rink allegedly operating illegally in Gandhinagar under Dharampeth Zone.
According to local residents, the land in question is a designated public playground, reserved as 15% open space under Development Control Regulations (DCR) 2000.
The plot, originally allotted by the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) on a 30-year lease, is claimed to be collectively owned by residents. However, for nearly three decades, the site has been used as a skating rink by Shivaji Skating Club, allegedly without any official permission.
Residents allege that the club, run by secretary Krishna Baisware, has been operating commercial coaching classes on the public ground, charging around ₹1,000 per child per month and generating substantial private profit. They claim that neither NMC nor NIT has granted permission for any commercial activity on the land, and no revenue from these operations has been deposited into the municipal treasury.
Despite these allegations and an ongoing case related to the matter before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, the NMC Sports Department, under Sports Officer Piyush Ambulankar, reportedly issued a tender worth ₹43 lakh for the rink’s “renovation and development.” Residents have termed the move illegal and arbitrary, raising questions over the timing and legitimacy of the tender process.
Locals have demanded immediate cancellation of the tender, a thorough investigation into the alleged unauthorized use of public land, and strict action against officials involved in approving the project while the matter remains sub judice.
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