Railway station flyover renovation next month | Nagpur updates
Nagpur updates:- MahaMetro, who was asked to execute the Jai Stambh Square traffic improvement scheme by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, plans to partially raze the railway station flyover next month. However, the plan may be stalled by opposition from the shopkeepers to be affected.
An official at MahaMetro said Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had instructed the agency to rehabilitate the shopkeepers first and then go in for demolition. “We’ve got 72 shopkeepers to rehabilitate. We have already built 40 temporary shops near the railway station flyover, and by the end of the month, 20 more will be ready. Once the shopkeepers move to the new shops, we’ll begin to demolish the railway station flyover from one side, “he added.
The official said the majority of the shopkeepers wanted monetary compensation rather than shops. “Who will pay the money, MahaMetro or NMC, is yet to be determined,” he further said.
MahaMetro plans to build a large commercial complex to house the shops. It will be linked by a foot overbridge to the railroad station. The corporation will also construct a multi-level car park close to the site. The ground floor will be used by city buses while the upper floors will be used for four-wheel and two-wheel parking.
The railway station flyover must be demolished as MahaMetro wants to build a six-lane road across from the railway station. As defence land is needed for the road, a four-lane road will be constructed first and a further two lanes will be added when the ground is available.
Under the flyover, there are 165 stores. There are two unions between the shopkeepers. The first union has owners of 72 stores that existed before the flyover was built. NMC allocated the shops at a cost of each Rs8 lakh. Such shops are situated across from the entrances to the railway station. The other union has 93 shopkeepers away from the entrances to have their shops. Through paying for the Rs10.20 lakh, they got the shop.
The 93 shopkeepers do not want new shops, they want monetary compensation instead. They had met with Gadkari, who approved their application. In this regard, they will meet with Mayor Sandip Joshi Thursday morning.
Nilesh Khorgade, these shopkeepers ‘ representative, said, “We’re going to be assigned shops at the backside and so we’re not going to get any customers. Even now, since our establishments are at a distance from the entrance, we don’t get many customers. So we want cash. “The other group of shopkeepers are not willing to shift to temporary shops. “The building is without drains and water connections. Most of the shops are restaurants here. How do we work without a drain and without water? NMC needs to first develop the commercial complex and then demolish the railway station flyover, “Ramu Wankhede said. Another shopkeeper said that if he was forced to move to temporary shops he would petition the court.
