Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) river and drain desilting works have come under scrutiny, with mayor Neeta Thakre on Wednesday ordering a comprehensive audit following allegations of large-scale financial irregularities.She said strict action would be taken against those found guilty. “A policy will be framed, on the lines of Mumbai and Pune, for scientific utilisation of silt and waste generated during the annual exercise,” she announced.The issue was raised during Question Hour by NCP corporator Abha Pande, who alleged corruption worth crores, favouritism in contract allocation, and collusion between contractors and civic officials. Calling it a “direct betrayal of Nagpur citizens”, she demanded an independent audit and a three-member inquiry committee.Pande cited discrepancies in official data, noting that silt removal declined from 10,175 metric tonnes in 2021 to 7,160 metric tonnes in 2023, before rising sharply to 12,822 metric tonnes in 2025. Terming the spike “suspicious”, she sought an explanation.She also alleged that contractors engaged in lifting and weighing silt received inflated payments based on questionable measurements.Flagging billing irregularities, Pande claimed machinery usage was shown at up to 20 hours a day — an “impractical” figure used to inflate costs. She further pointed to inadequate records of tipper movement and questioned why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) resources were not utilised.Despite the expenditure, she said the city continues to face flooding during the monsoon, indicating gaps in the desilting exercise. The NMC has spent Rs 5.72 crore against a budget allocation of Rs 7 crore.Meanwhile, Congress corporator Shailesh Pande attempted to raise the Gorewada lake issue but was denied permission to speak, prompting a walkout.
