Nagpur’s Leader of the Opposition in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Sanjay Mahakalkar, has raised concerns regarding the civic body’s allocation of ₹2 crore for the city’s Marbat Festival. He argues that this expenditure is inappropriate given the current state of local infrastructure, specifically highlighting the numerous potholes on city roads and the backlog of several pending civic projects.
Mahakalkar submitted a letter to the NMC deputy commissioner of the sports department seeking details of the ₹2 crore provision made in the standing committee budget for Marbat Mahotsav-2026. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nagpur | Silver Rate in Nagpur | Bank Holidays in Nagpur | Public Holidays in Nagpur | Petrol Price in Nagpur | Diesel Price in Nagpur | CNG Price in Nagpur | LPG Price in Nagpur Stay updated with the latest Nagpur news.
Citizens have the right to know how their money is being spent,” Mahakalkar said. He questioned the need for such spending when basic civic issues remain unresolved. He has sought, within three days, a written account of expenditure on each activity, including the nature of work, amount spent, and mode of payment. He also sought details of expenditure on advertisements, stage arrangements, cultural programmes, logistics, and other activities. “Instead of restoring roads and addressing citizens’ basic problems, the civic administration is spending crores on festivals. He alleged that T-shirts were initially sold and later distributed free of cost as part of an alleged BJP promotion exercise. He sought details of who authorised the move and whether civic funds were used for political purposes. Mahakalkar also questioned the standing committee’s role in approving the budget provision and alleged a lack of coordination in organising the festival. He also flagged pending works under the zonal budget, alleging that civic priorities were being overlooked. Download the TOI App.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Mahakalkar alleged that taxpayers’ money was being used for publicity and political promotion.