The BJP-led Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) spent 2.12 crore to sponsor various cultural and sports events in the city since January 2007. In fact, the civic body is authorised to spend only 25,000 per year on such events!
The issue once again rocked the civic house with an almost hourlong debate and one-to-one heated arguments between standing panel chief Sandeep Joshi, ruling party leader Pravin Datke and leader of opposition Vikas Thakre on Tuesday.
Just as mayor Archana Dehankar announced the agenda for the house, leader of opposition Vikas Thakre demanded that the ruling party and NMC administration should read out the complaints, audit report and directives issued by chief minister Ashok Chavan's office in a letter to the municipal commissioner regarding irregularities in allocating funds.
He alleged that despite clear cut orders from the state government and in clear violation of section 58 (D-K) of City of Nagpur Corporation Act, 1948, the civic body had spent more than 25,000 on cultural activities in a financial year.
He accused the BJP of ignoring these directives and spending almost 2.12 crore on organising computer exhibitions, sports events and even cultural activities in the last three years ( 13.90 lakh in 2008-09, 1.53 crore in 08-09 and 45.75 lakh in 09-10).
NMC had sanctioned , 10 lakh for a feature film, and in 08-09. NMC released 2.5 lakh for a computer exhibition and 3.50 lakh for Sawarkar Sammelan this year. All these sanctions violated the 25 lakh for ' Janata Raja' 3 lakh for the show ' Ek Ratra Nilya Pakhranchi' 2.50 lakh for play ' Shegavicha Rana' 25,000 limit on such spend in an year, Thakare pointed out.
Replying to the allegations, both Sandeep Joshi and Pravin Datke informed the house that in 1948, NMC's annual budget was just 33.99 lakh. So, 25,000 was sufficient for sponsoring cultural and sports events. Almost 60 years later, in 2010, NMC has an annual budget of 1,193.29 crore and still it has to allocate funds as per old structure, they pointed out.
Both have proposed an allocation of almost 1 crore each year for the next 15 years in NMC's budget for sports and cultural events. Sandeep Joshi said that as per proceedings of the house we have informed the opposition leader that the issue was related to finances, so it would be sent to the standing committee, and after approval it would be tabled before the house.
Finally, the mayor put on hold the proposal after Vikas Thakre demanded that the administration should first take a legal opinion on the issue and then put up the proposal before the house.
The issue once again rocked the civic house with an almost hourlong debate and one-to-one heated arguments between standing panel chief Sandeep Joshi, ruling party leader Pravin Datke and leader of opposition Vikas Thakre on Tuesday.
Just as mayor Archana Dehankar announced the agenda for the house, leader of opposition Vikas Thakre demanded that the ruling party and NMC administration should read out the complaints, audit report and directives issued by chief minister Ashok Chavan's office in a letter to the municipal commissioner regarding irregularities in allocating funds.
He alleged that despite clear cut orders from the state government and in clear violation of section 58 (D-K) of City of Nagpur Corporation Act, 1948, the civic body had spent more than 25,000 on cultural activities in a financial year.
He accused the BJP of ignoring these directives and spending almost 2.12 crore on organising computer exhibitions, sports events and even cultural activities in the last three years ( 13.90 lakh in 2008-09, 1.53 crore in 08-09 and 45.75 lakh in 09-10).
NMC had sanctioned , 10 lakh for a feature film, and in 08-09. NMC released 2.5 lakh for a computer exhibition and 3.50 lakh for Sawarkar Sammelan this year. All these sanctions violated the 25 lakh for ' Janata Raja' 3 lakh for the show ' Ek Ratra Nilya Pakhranchi' 2.50 lakh for play ' Shegavicha Rana' 25,000 limit on such spend in an year, Thakare pointed out.
Replying to the allegations, both Sandeep Joshi and Pravin Datke informed the house that in 1948, NMC's annual budget was just 33.99 lakh. So, 25,000 was sufficient for sponsoring cultural and sports events. Almost 60 years later, in 2010, NMC has an annual budget of 1,193.29 crore and still it has to allocate funds as per old structure, they pointed out.
Both have proposed an allocation of almost 1 crore each year for the next 15 years in NMC's budget for sports and cultural events. Sandeep Joshi said that as per proceedings of the house we have informed the opposition leader that the issue was related to finances, so it would be sent to the standing committee, and after approval it would be tabled before the house.
Finally, the mayor put on hold the proposal after Vikas Thakre demanded that the administration should first take a legal opinion on the issue and then put up the proposal before the house.
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