Nagpur: Cracking the whip over alleged irregularities, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) transport committee has decided to initiate criminal proceedings against three private bus operators for missing bus chassis and equipment, while approving recovery of Rs32.39 lakh from them.The decision was taken unanimously at a meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of transport committee head Mangala Khekare at the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh memorial standing committee hall. The meeting was attended by committee members and senior officials from the transport department.The issue pertains to buses operated under the central govt-funded Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), under which NMC procured 237 buses for its Aapli Bus city service. The civic body appointed three Red bus operators, with each firm assigned 79 buses for operations.As part of routine lifecycle management, 123 buses that completed 15 years of service were recently processed for scrapping. These included 49 buses operated by one operator, 15 by another and 59 by a third firm. However, during a detailed survey conducted prior to scrapping, officials found that several bus chassis and onboard components were missing.Taking serious note of the discrepancies, NMC issued notices to all three operators seeking explanation. However, none of the firms responded to the notices, prompting the civic body to initiate legal action.Following an independent valuation conducted by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the transport department quantified the losses and fixed recovery amounts. The first operator has been asked to pay Rs16.99 lakh, the second operator Rs3.77 lakh and the third operator Rs11.62 lakh.Officials said if the operators fail to deposit the recovery amount within the stipulated timeframe, the dues will be adjusted against their pending payments with the NMC. Simultaneously, criminal cases will be registered against the firms, the panel ordered.The panel also gave nod to extend duties of six contractual staff members by six months. The NMC will have to bear Rs1.48 lakh per month towards their honorarium.In another key decision aimed at preventing such lapses, the committee approved deployment of 87 private security guards across NMC’s seven bus depots, along with Mor Bhavan 1 and Mor Bhavan 2 premises. The guards will be stationed in three shifts to ensure round-the-clock protection of buses and depot assets.
