Ex-mayor Tiwari to represent city at finance commission meeting
Nagpur: Former mayor
Dayashankar Tiwari
will represent Nagpur city at the
16th Finance Commission
's crucial meeting scheduled for May 8 at Sahyadri, Mumbai. The meeting, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, will deliberate on fiscal allocations for the next five years starting FY 2026-27.
Tiwari is one of four ex-mayors chosen to represent their cities and urban local bodies after a video conference conducted by the urban development department's principal secretary on Friday. The virtual meet screened six former mayors from key Maharashtra cities — Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Nashik, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Apart from urban leaders, 19 representatives from rural bodies and members of commerce and industry associations also took part.
Nagpur's inclusion in the final panel comes amid a funding drought under the 15th Finance Commission. A senior official from
Nagpur Municipal Corporation
's (NMC) finance and accounts department confirmed that the city did not receive a single rupee under the 15th Finance Commission during the last three financial years. "This has severely impacted growth. Many infrastructure and development projects were stalled due to lack of funds," the official said.
Tiwari is expected to strongly raise the issue before the commission and justify why Nagpur requires financial assistance. He will also present a detailed list of proposals on behalf of the NMC. "Before 2022, we received almost Rs200 crore under the 15th Finance Commission. But the last three years saw complete neglect," the official added.
The commission's terms of reference also include recommending measures to strengthen the Consolidated Funds of states for supporting panchayats and municipalities and reviewing disaster management funding. The govt has deliberately kept the scope flexible, allowing the commission room to make broader suggestions within constitutional limits.
Tiwari, the last elected mayor before the NMC's general body was dissolved in March 2022, has been invited based on his administrative experience.
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