Nagpur civic body wants Rs 800 crore to take over NIT layouts

Even though chief minister DevendraFadnavis is for accelerating the dissolution of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), standing committee chairman VirendraKukreja said the civic body won’t takeover 3,000 non-developed layouts unless the agency gives Rs 800 crore for development works. Most layouts fall under Gunthewari Act and without basic amenities like sewer lines, water networks etc. Addressing mediapersons on Wednesday, Kukreja said NIT is ready to hand over the layouts under its jurisdiction to NMC. But they need at least Rs 700 to Rs 800 crore for development of civic amenities in around 3,000 layouts. On Wednesday, Kukreja asked the civic administration to speed up recovery of property tax in all 10 zones. Against a target of Rs 509 crore, which included Rs 300 crore arrears, Kukreja said with only three months left for the financial year to end, the administration has generated less than one-fourth or Rs140 crore only. Of the Rs 300 crore arrears, the NMC could manage to recover Rs 33 crore only, Kukreja said. To a query, he said the BJP-ruled NMC is not in a mood to give amnesty scheme for property tax defaulters.