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Nagpur may not regularize Futala Lake restaurants

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Fresh tenders for either appointing private operator to develop and maintain Futala Lake area or establish kiosks.

The Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) is unlikely to regularize Futala Lake restaurants. Following orders from the state government, the civic agency has conducted a hearing and is all set to decide the fate of restaurants soon.

NIT chairman Shyam Wardhane conducted hearing of private operator Sell Ads and owners of 16 restaurants situated parallel to Futala Lake. The two hearings were held on April 6 and April 18. Wardhane will pronounce the order soon.

NIT sources told TOI the restaurants will not be regularized. “NIT is likely to invite fresh tenders for either appointing private operator to develop and maintain Futala Lake area or establish kiosks. NIT will not regularize the restaurants as agreement with Sell Ads was terminated on August 16, 2014, and agreement time period of five years also came to an end on February 16. Besides, NIT has already declared that all restaurants and advertisement hoardings violate norms,” sources said.

Futala_Lake_Nagpur

NIT would have taken a decision and ensure proper development of Futala Lake area had the government not directed it to revise the termination order. In view of various violations and public interest litigation in the high court, the NIT had terminated the agreement signed with Sell Ads on August 16, 2014. The NIT had forfeited security deposit of INR six lakh given by Sell Ads and directed it to remove all structures along Futala Lake within seven days from the termination order.

Sell Ads and 16 restaurant owners had filed an appeal with the government. On March 19, principal secretary of urban development department Manish Mhaiskar passed an order scrapping the termination order passed by NIT. Mhaiskar directed NIT to revise the decision by taking the views of Sell Ads and restaurant owners.

NIT is likely to invite fresh tenders for either appointing private operator to develop and maintain Futala Lake area or establish kiosks.

Though delayed, Wardhane is all set to take a decision in the case after hearing all these parties. Taking benefit of litigations and delay from the NIT, restaurant owners have continued to run their establishments. Sources said some restaurant owners had leased out their establishments to other parties and few rented out their premises at high costs. NIT has continued to sit pretty, allowing restaurant owners to avail the benefits. NIT has even failed to recover pending royalty of Rs 24 lakh from Sell Ads for the last one year.

On February 17, 2010, NIT had entered into an agreement with Sell Ads for establishing 20 mobile kiosks on temporary basis on 18-meter-wide road situated along Futala Lake. NIT had given a layout plan to the private operator for developing parking, green and sitting areas between the kiosks. The operator established more than 20 kiosks, that too on semi-permanent and permanent basis. Restaurants were also developed in areas marked for parking, greenery and seating.

The operator also failed to develop South side area of the lake and maintain cleanliness on the lake’s water surface. The operator also went on to enter into agreements with third parties, which was not permitted. Other types of violations also came to fore. Therefore, NIT had to terminate the agreement with Sell Ads, which automatically made all the restaurants illegal.

Source: Times of India

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