New Era of Development to Begin with Cooperation of Elected Representatives and Administration — NMC Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari

New Era of Development to Begin with Cooperation of Elected Representatives and Administration

— NMC Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari

77th Republic Day Celebrated at NMC Headquarters

Nagpur, January 26:
A new phase of development in Nagpur will begin with the active cooperation of elected representatives and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) administration, said NMC Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijit Chaudhari.

He was addressing officers, employees, and citizens during the national flag hoisting ceremony held at the Nagpur Municipal Corporation headquarters on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day.

The ceremony was attended by Additional Commissioner Vasumana Pant, Chief Engineer Manoj Talewar, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer Sadashiv Shelke, Deputy Commissioners Nirbhay Jain, Milind Meshram, Dr Ranjana Lade, Dr Meghna Vasankar, Mangesh Khawale, Ganesh Rathod, Rajesh Bhagat, Superintending Engineers Lina Upadhye and Dr Shweta Banerjee, along with all Assistant Commissioners, officers, employees, fire brigade personnel, and students from NMC schools.

The event began with a ceremonial welcome accorded to Commissioner Dr Chaudhari by a platoon of fire brigade personnel. This was followed by the hoisting of the national flag. The fire brigade personnel presented a parade, after which Dr Chaudhari received the salute and inspected the platoon.

In his address, Dr Chaudhari noted that citizens of Nagpur had recently participated in large numbers in the municipal general elections, demonstrating their commitment to democracy. He expressed gratitude to all voters, officers, and employees who contributed to the successful conduct of the electoral process, stating that public cooperation would help make NMC’s functioning more citizen-centric.

He said that during NMC’s Amrit Mahotsav year, Nagpur has made significant strides in development and has emerged as one of the country’s developed cities. Under AMRUT Mission 1 and 2, efforts are underway to provide water supply to areas currently lacking services, with pipeline installations and construction of new water tanks in progress. These initiatives aim to ensure 24×7 water supply across a larger part of the city.

Dr Chaudhari further informed that pollution abatement projects for the Nag and Pohra rivers are being implemented. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the municipal corporation remains committed to providing affordable housing to economically weaker sections, with continuous efforts to maximize the number of beneficiaries.

Expanding public transport infrastructure, he said that 550 buses are currently operating in the city under the PM e-Bus scheme, most of which are electric, contributing significantly to pollution control.

Highlighting environmental sustainability initiatives, Dr Chaudhari said the legacy waste removal project at Bhandewadi is progressing rapidly. Over 50 acres have been reclaimed, and processing capacity of 800 tonnes of waste per day has been achieved. A new ambitious project capable of processing 1,000 tonnes per day will soon become operational.

Quality road construction is being carried out using NMC’s hot mix plant. Additionally, over 100 Aarogyavardhini Centres, six new English-medium schools, and various theme-based gardens such as Rock Garden, Adventure Garden, and Vertical Gardens are being developed for healthcare, education, and city beautification.

For strengthening fire services, 14 new tenders and a 70-metre high hydraulic platform have been introduced, enabling effective firefighting in high-rise buildings. Plans are also underway for a modern fire control room.

Dr Chaudhari highlighted digital initiatives, stating that services like property tax payment and assessment are now available through the ‘Smart Mitra’ chatbot. The use of artificial intelligence and website upgrades have enhanced transparency and ease of governance.

To strengthen administrative capacity, long-pending recruitment processes have been completed, resulting in the appointment of nearly 400 employees through competitive examinations. Housing projects for sanitation workers are being implemented, with work orders issued for over 400 houses. Benefits of the Lad-Page Committee recommendations are also being extended to eligible contractual employees.

As part of the celebrations, students of Pannalal Devdiya School presented a patriotic dance-drama. The Preamble of the Constitution was read aloud, and a pledge for leprosy eradication was administered.

Earlier, Additional Commissioner Vasumana Pant welcomed Commissioner Dr Abhijit Chaudhari by presenting a ceremonial shawl and a tulsi sapling. The programme was conducted by Public Relations Officer Manish Soni and Shubhangi Pohare, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Manish Soni.