Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will table the Empress Mall inquiry report before the general body in a meeting to be held on Wednesday.The ruling party — BJP — will announce the name of new standing committee chairman after the meeting.TOI was the first to report findings of the inquiry on Empress Mall on February 7. Citing delay in taking action against unauthorized constructions in the mall, three-member committee of additional municipal commissioner Aziz Sheikh, deputy municipal commissioner Rajesh Mohite and assistant director of town planning Pramod Gawande had held three officials responsible. Accordingly, notice was issued to two assistant commissioners Subhashchandra Jaidev, Mahesh Moroney and junior engineer Pradip Holey.The inquiry also revealed that engineers from NMC’s town planning department had sanctioned building plans of the mall on industrial plot in a brazen violation of rules. However, the inquiry committee did not hold any official(s) accountable for it.The inquiry was conducted after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured of an inquiry and action in the state legislative council responding to a query by former mayor and MLC Anil Sole.Former mayor and BJP corporator Pravin Datke is likely to demand action against all engineers and officials who had committed the irregularities. Also, Datke is likely to expose more violations and irregularities in connection with the mall and the Empress City.A proposal to replace eight of the 16 members of standing committee will come up before the general body. Of the eight, five are from the BJP. However, the BJP has decided to replace its all 12 members, including existing chairman Virendra Kukreja. The names of the 12 new members, including new chairman, will be announced on Wednesday.BJP sources told TOI that Satish Holey from South Nagpur and Pradeep Pohane from East Nagpur are main contenders for the chairman’s post.The general body will also take a decision to empower the civic chief to ink tripartite agreement between NMC, MahaMetro and private agency for operating e-bicycles, e-scooters etc for end-to-end connectivity under Metro Rail project. Another proposal is to convert 0.49 hectare land from agriculture to residential zone in mouza Bhamti.

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