The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has failed to complete seven development projects estimated to cost Rs 1,487.25 crore, as approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.
The deadline set for the projects was 31 March, 2014. Out of 19 projects, eight projects are yet to be completed. Out of eight, the Centre has extended the deadline of one project related to Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) upto 31 March 2015, by revising the project in February 2014.
The remaining seven projects which are pending are related to NMC, which include the 24 x 7 water supply project, sewage treatment project, three parts of Pench-IV water supply project, Ram Jhula and Maskasath railway overbridge.
Earlier, the final deadline set for the project was 31 March 2012. Due to delay of projects from a majority of the cities, the centre had extended the deadline further for two years i.e. upto 31 March, 2014.
After sanctioning the extension, the Centre had made it clear that no further extension would be permitted after the 31 March deadline. Also, the Ministry of Urban Development had informed that civic bodies and the state would have to bear the escalated cost of the project, if they missed the deadline.
After missing the deadline, the NMC was asked by the Centre to submit the time required for completion of the seven pending projects. The NMC has informed the Centre that it would take one more year to complete two projects - the 24 x 7 water supply project, and the sewage treatment plant, while the remaining five are likely to be completed in three-six months.
If the projects are not given extension, the cost of the projects will further escalate and the NMC will incur a loss of Rs 300 crore.