NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation ( NMC ) has shown Laxmi Nagar-based Scientific Co-operative Housing Society as owner of playground when the Nagpur Improvement Trust ( NIT ) owned it on the records of city survey department. Also, the civic body is not taking any action on the illegal function hall built by the society on the same playground despite notice issued four years ago.

TOI, on Monday, reported about an order of Land Record Office in which Scientific Society has been declared as owner of the playground measuring 75,109.74 sq ft land and worth over Rs 50 crore instead of the NIT. As per information available in the order, the NIT was owner of the playground since existence of city survey office in 1970.

The society had submitted an application with the NMC’s town planning department seeking revision in building plan of badminton hall existed on the playground in 2010. As per Land Record Office order, the NMC has shown society as owner of the playground in sanction dated January 4, 2011 given to the revised building plan.

As per the NMC’s norms, the town planning department has to verify the city survey records for ownership before giving sanction to building plan. It means the department either gave undue favour to the society or neglected the mandatory norm.

RTI activist TH Naidu said that the society could not have constructed the illegal function hall had the town planning department verified the ownership of playground with the city survey records. “Civic chief should conduct an inquiry into the case. Repeated irregularities are coming to fore from the town planning department. Recently the department had given sanction to flat scheme of a private builder on land reserved for veterinary hospital and owned by the NIT. The department forces a common man to make rounds for building plan sanction, but when it comes to builder or influential societies the norms are neglected,” he said.

A senior NMC official assured to look into the matter citing sanction given six years ago.

The NMC’s favour to the society is nothing new. Following series of TOI’s reports, the NMC Laxmi Nagar Zone office had issued notice to the illegal function hall in October 2013. No action has been taken against the hall and the society continued to utilize the hall on playground for commercial purposes.

Naidu added that the NMC should take over the playground. “Now the layout is under the NMC’s possession. There are provisions in the city’s development control regulations (DCR) to take over the open spaces and public utilities for maintenance purposes. Society is utilizing the playground for commercial purpose and evident from illegal function hall,” he said.

“Area of playground is reserved for playground itself in city’s development plan. It is mandatory for the NMC to acquire the playground. Issue of illegal function hall will automatically come to an end if the NMC becomes owner of playground,” he added.

