Times of India: Nagpur: Wednesday,
September 14, 2016.
One more
violation has come to fore regarding the unauthorized usage of a
privately-owned building from where the National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI) is operating its project implementation unit on a monthly rental basis
for the last nine years. For all these years, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation
(NMC) has been levying property tax on the building as per residential
category.
TOI had
exposed the unauthorized usage on August 20 on the basis of the information
obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act by activist Ankita Shah.
Following TOI's report, assistant commissioner of NMC Dharampeth Zone Prakash
Warhade directed the engineers of public works department and inspectors of
property tax department at the zone to inspect the premises and initiate
action.
"Property
tax was being recovered as per residential category. Total measurement of the
building has been taken. Also, the building has no authorized water connection,
making it liable for water tax. A total demand note of Rs22 lakh has been given
to the owner," said a tax inspector.
The inspector
further said, "Property tax department's head office looks after tax of
government buildings while zone office after private buildings. The board of
NHAI on the building might have caused confusion among officials," he
said.
Warhade said
action under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act will also be
taken. "Letter has been issued to owner of the building for providing
information related to the building. Notice under the MRTP Act will be issued
after receiving information," he said.
Similar
violations have come to fore regarding NHAI regional office. The NHAI had
opened its regional office for the first time in a non-capital city here last
year. Initially, the NHAI operated the office from a rented building at
Ramdaspeth. In August last year, the regional office was shifted to a building
adjacent to the project implementation unit office at Shubhankar Society, Hill
Top.
The building
is owned by another private person and regional office pays rent on monthly
basis. This building too is a residential structure. The property tax has been
levied as per residential category. The NMC Dharampeth Zone too issued a demand
note of around Rs2 lakh to the owner and converted into commercial category.
Ankita Shah
told TOI that information about the regional office has been sought. "It
seems NHAI officials don't care to search for government properties for rent
though they are first preference. Also it is mandatory for the NHAI to conduct
tendering process for selecting the private property. I got information that
the property was not selected through tendering process. NHAI had gone for
tendering process twice but claimed that no bids were received. Therefore,
officials selected the property as per their wish. It is to be seen whether it
also amounts to violation," she said.
NHAI project
director Shriram Mishra refused to comment on the matter.
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