Aurangabad, July 14:
The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has constructed Shopping Complex comprising 50 shops/galas on the open ground at T V Centre (Cidco N-10 sector). The complex was built, keeping aside the traditional system of a Built-Operate and Transfer (BoT) basis, by raising money through auctioning of these shops in 2014. However, 13 shopkeepers failed to deposit the auction money as well as take possession of their respective shops in the past seven years.
The idea of auctioning the shops was floated by the then municipal commissioner Harshadeep Kamble and implemented by the executive engineer Afsar Siddiqui. The auctioning of these shops was organised at Maulana Azad Research Centre and the bidding process was continued for a couple of days. The AMC collected crores of rupees which was utilised to construct the L-shaped complex. The shops were allotted to the highest bidders only. The shops were leased out for a period of 30 years from the date of possession of the shops.
According to the sources, " the project was a win-win situation for AMC as on one hand, it constructed the complex from the auction money and on other hand, it was to collect property tax from them. However, during the recent review meeting organised by the AMC administrator A K Pandey to develop playgrounds at T V Centre and Garware Stadium, Pandey came to know the bidders of 13 shops (numbers 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 46, 47 and 50) had neither deposited their money (as finalised during the bidding process) nor they came forward to take the possession of them) since past seven years. He expressed displeasure when he also learned that the AMC officers had served oral and written reminders to these 13 bidders of these shops, but was in vain. They had even opted to develop communication through social media, but it also failed to attract positive response."
When contacted the AMC deputy commissioner (estate) and the assessor and collector of tax Aparna Thete confirmed saying, " The AMC administrator A K Pandey has ordered to collect the auction money (100 percent) from these shopkeepers and hand over the possession of their respective shops on or before July 31, 2021. We had issued a public notice and this is the last chance for them. If they took the notice for granted and does not deposit the money (finalised amount in the auction) then the AMC would opt for re-auctioning of these shops and allotted to other desirous citizens. ."