Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare on Friday made serious allegations against sections of the civic administration, claiming that some engineers accept money to avoid visiting project sites and inspecting ongoing works.
Speaking to reporters after the Standing Committee meeting, Dani-Wakhare said the administration had been directed to maintain proper records of engineers’ field visits and movements. “Some engineers are taking money for not inspecting sites. The administration must track their movements and ensure regular monitoring of works under execution,” she said. She also raised concerns over the deployment of vehicles hired by the civic body, alleging that there was no proper record of their usage.
Dani-Wakhare questioned a proposal seeking post-facto approval for expenditure of Rs 53.14 lakh incurred by the workshop department in 2024 on hiring vehicles. The vehicles, including eight open tippers and two backhoe loaders, were hired through MM Engineers for removal of tree branches and leaf litter in the Dharampeth zone.
Stating that transparency and accountability must be ensured, she directed officials to introduce technology-based tracking of hired vehicles and returned the proposal to the workshop department for further examination. The Standing Committee also expressed displeasure over delays in finalising tenders for maintenance of LED streetlights. The existing maintenance contracts had expired in April 2025 and were extended till March 31 this year.
As fresh tenders are yet to be finalised, the electrical department sought approval for payment of Rs 9.35 crore to the existing contractors for the extended period. While clearing the proposal, Dani-Wakhare instructed officials to complete the tender process at the earliest.
The Chairperson also criticised the education department for the delay in submitting proposals for the reappointment of sports teachers. “Schools have already reopened, but the department has been delaying the recruitment process for the past four years,” she said.
Pointing to a shortage of more than 100 teachers in NMC schools, Dani-Wakhare stressed the need to strengthen municipal education and prevent further decline in enrolment. She observed that the number of civic schools had reduced from around 400 to nearly 100 over the years while approving the proposal for reappointment of sports teachers.
During the meeting, Congress corporator and Standing Committee member Wasim Khan raised the issue of the death of Afroz Begum in Auliya Colony, Tajbagh, who was allegedly electrocuted during sewer line works being carried out under the AMRUT scheme.
Khan demanded adequate compensation for the victim’s family, action against the contractor and officials responsible, and details of the steps taken by the administration so far.
Among other decisions, the Standing Committee rejected the proposed 10 per cent increase in property tax and ruled out any new taxes in the 2026-27 budget. The property tax department was directed to improve revenue collection by expanding the tax base, recovering arrears and auctioning properties of chronic defaulters. The committee also approved extension of the contractual tenure of veterinarians, para-veterinary staff, GIS experts, GIS assistants and public relations consultants from six months to 11 months.
The electrical department was further instructed to expedite the streetlight maintenance tender process and introduce a real-time dashboard for monitoring faulty streetlights across the city.
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