Information commission gives NMC 15 days to hand over map to 68 Indiranagar families

The State Information Commission has taken a stern view of the functioning of the slum department and the town planning department of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). It has issued an ultimatum to provide, within 15 days, a certified map and the necessary documents for the land to which 68 families lay claim.

The case concerns the Indiranagar slum in Jaripatka. The 68 families there are said to have been denied ownership leases for their land for years. The secretary of the Indiranagar Gruh Nirman Sahakari Sanstha (housing cooperative society) had applied under the Right to Information (RTI) Act for papers relating to the land rights.

For about 14 months after applying, the secretary went from one department to another, but did not get the documents. The matter finally reached the Nagpur bench of the State Information Commission. The commission expressed displeasure with the civic administration for withholding information and evading its duties under the RTI Act.

The Indiranagar slum falls under khasra number 25/1 of Mauja Indora, slum code 410. In 2014, a plan for 366 SRA houses was brought in here under the BSUP scheme. But after 2016, 68 families have remained without land leases because of discrepancies in the documents. When the society's secretary sought a certified map, different NMC departments refused to take responsibility.

The passing of responsibility between departments went on for a long time. The Slum Rehabilitation Authority claimed that the information sought was with the town planning department. The town planning department then put the responsibility on the establishment department. The slum department too expressed its inability to provide the papers.

Expressing displeasure at this irresponsible attitude of the departments, the commission issued strict orders. It directed that the certified map of the row-house GP area in Indiranagar and a copy of the PDS be given to the appellant free of charge within 15 days.

The commission also ordered that if the documents in question are not available, the NMC must state the reasons in an affidavit.