Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has complained to the Prime Minister’s Office against the “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and fraudulent affairs” of Nagpur municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
Gadkari has charged that Munde has “unlawfully and unconstitutionally grabbed the position” of the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL).
The NSSDCL is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the smart city project in Maharashtra’s second capital of Nagpur. Mundhe, a high-profile IAS official, is already in the cross-hairs of corporators in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-controlled Nagpur civic body, especially Mayor Sandeep Joshi.
Gadkari has alleged that Mundhe, after taking charge as the municipal commissioner, “grabbed” the NSSCDCL CEOs position claiming he had been appointed to the post by Pravinsinh Pardeshi, chairman, NSSCDL. “Even otherwise the CEO of the Company cannot be appointed by (the) Chairman unilaterally as the power to appoint the CEO vest(s) with the Board of Directors,” said Gadkari.
Copies of the letter have been marked to Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the PMO, and Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs.
“After forcefully grabbing (the) position of (the) CEO, Shri Mundhe has revoked various instrumental unanimous decisions (sic) taken by Board of Directors, such as cancellation of approved tenders, termination of the contractual employees in a situation like pandemic Covid-19, misappropriation of (the) funds of the Company by introducing his signature in the current account maintained with the Bank of Maharashtra etc,” charged Gadkari.
The Mayor of Nagpur, who is one of the nominee directors, has also lodged a criminal complaint against Munde, said Gadkari, while seeking that “strict and necessary action” be taken against the bureaucrat to “prevent him from jeopardising” the ambitious Smart City project.
