Ex-mayor wants more funds for Nagpur, grant norms eased
Nagpur: Representing Nagpur city before the 16th
in Mumbai on Thursday, former mayor
urged the Centre to relax strict conditions laid under the 15th Finance Commission that prevented urban local bodies from receiving vital grants in recent years.Tiwari pointed out that due to absence of elected representatives following deferred civic body polls and inability to increase property tax collections by the mandated 15% annually — mostly because civic staffers were engaged in conducting state and Lok Sabha elections —
(NMC) was denied grants for three financial years: 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
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He said inclusion of such stringent conditions adversely affected civic works and demanded their removal under the 16th Finance Commission.Among other key proposals, Tiwari recommended reduction in the municipal corporation's contribution toward centrally-sponsored schemes such as AMRUT, AMRUT 2.0, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), and SBM 2.0.
"Presently, the funding pattern is 25% from the Centre, 25% from the state, and 50% from the corporation," the former mayor told TOI and said he urged the commission to bring down the corporation's share to 25%, citing a steep rise in unavoidable expenditure and limited revenue.On disaster preparedness, Tiwari said municipal commissioner was appointed chairman of the newly restructured
Authority under the amended Disaster Management Act, 2025.
He proposed additional funding to support the municipal body's independent efforts in managing urban disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes.Tiwari also sought dedicated grants to enhance city surveillance system, which, he said, would play a critical role in curbing crime and ensuring safety of citizens and public assets as the city continues to expand.Calling for investments in renewable energy, Tiwari highlighted NMC operating over 200 electric buses and growing EV usage among citizens.
However, the city faces a shortage of charging stations. He requested funds for installing EV charging infrastructure on municipal land to support sustainable transport.On public transportation, he said Nagpur currently runs 519 buses, including 230 electric ones. With 1.25 lakh daily ridership and plans to add 400 more electric buses, annual Rs170 crore burden on the civic body cannot be sustained. He proposed capital and operational support under the Finance Commission to ease this strain.Tiwari further urged funds for upgrading basic infrastructure in Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) areas near metro corridors, development in newly urbanised city zones, and implementation of Development Plan (DP), particularly for reserved plots earmarked for civic amenities.
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