CM positive about one-time planning model in Navi Mumbai: Ganesh Naik

Even as Ganesh Naik claims that CM Prithviraj Chavan is “positive” about one-time planning, city district Congress members have a contradictory version.

The members, comprising district Congress chief Dashrath Bhagat, Ramakant Mhatre, Santosh Shetty and Sudhir Pawar, met Chavan and apprised him of the developments after NMMC cleared the proposal in June.

“It is not one-time planning, but one-time corruption of NMMC,” said Bhagat, who informed Chavan on how the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was hell-bent on pushing NMMC to bankruptcy by availing loans to raise Rs12,800 crore for the project.

“NCP is bypassing all the laws by bringing in such proposals and getting them cleared on the basis of their numerical strength in the house,” said a Pawar, who was part of the delegation.

“Cidco has developed Navi Mumbai, and while doing so, it had taken into account the planning for next 50 years. It has already developed nodes and built infrastructure before handing it over to NMMC. For 20 years, NMMC is only taking care of the existing infrastructure. What is the need to come out with a new planning model?” Bhagat asked.

Congress also presented the budget report for the current financial year to Chavan and informed him that though there is no provision to spend Rs45.98 crore for the pilot project of onetime planning in Belapur’s sector 15, NMMC is spending it.

“Chavan assured us that he will look into the matter and conduct a proper inquiry,” a member who attended the meeting said. He claimed that the CM informed civic officials that he was not convinced about the project.