MTDC suspends Ambazari project, asks contractor to stop work

Staff Reporter

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has suspended the Ambazari Garden project and has asked the contractor concerned to stop the work with immediate effect. The said project had been in the eye of storm for past some time as some organisations started joint demonstrations against alleged demolition of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smruti Sanskrutik Bhavan by the contractor agency. MTDC has issued the order in this regard on June 19, with the signature of its Managing Director. As per the said order, MTDC has taken the decision to suspend the project work till further orders, based on the enquiry report of the committee that was constituted by the Divisional Commissioner. Vijayalakshmi Bidari, Divisional Commissioner, had issued the orders for constitution of the enquiry committee in March 2023.

The said committee was headed by Deputy Commissioner (General Administration), and comprised Additional Collector, Regional Deputy Commissioner of Social Welfare Department, Deputy Collector (Nazul), Executive Engineer (Division-I) of Public Works Department as members. Assistant Commissioner (Land Reforms) was the Member Secretary of the committee. Bidari had asked the committee to conduct a scrutiny of all the relevant documents and submit an objective report. Following the receipt of the enquiry committee’s report, MTDC has now asked the contractor agency -- M/s Garuda Amusement Park (Nagpur) Pvt Ltd -- to stop all the work immediately. The said firm was engaged in the project for development and operation/maintenance of Ambazari Garden on design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis. The 44-acre land of Ambazari Garden was handed over to MTDC for tourism development on a 99-year lease. Accordingly, MTDC appointed M/s Garuda Amusement Park (Nagpur) Pvt Ltd as developer. However, soon, protests started. Various Ambedkarite organisations started demonstrations alleging that the contractor agency had demolished Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smruti Sanskrutik Bhavan in the Ambazari Garden land.

The demonstrators alleged that the contractor firm had done so without any permission from Maharashtra Government, District Collector of Nagpur, MTDC, or Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Following the daily agitation, the Managing Director of MTDC sought a report from the contractor agency, which reportedly replied that the thunderstorm on June 8, 2021 had resulted in collapse of the said building along with 90-100 trees in the project area. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have welcomed the latest development. Adv Dharmapal Meshram, State Vice-President of BJP, stated in a press release that he had first pointed out that the contractor firm had demolished Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smruti Sanskrutik Bhavan, and had followed up the matter with the State Government. Also, he added, he had brought the matter to the notice of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, and Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In another press release, BJP stated that a meeting was held to welcome MTDC’s decision. Dr Milind Mane, former MLA; Ashok Mendhe, National Vice-President of BJP; Adv Dharmapal Meshram; Sandeep Jadhav, former Deputy Mayor; Rajesh Hathibed, Ravindra Dongre, Satish Dagor, Rajendra Sayare, Satish Sitaswan, Nagesh Sahare and others attended the meeting in which a resolution congratulating State Government was passed.