MSIDC set to take over auditorium project in south-west Nagpur

Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) is set to take over yet another ambitious project from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

The civic body had proposed a state-of-the-art auditorium in the South-West Nagpur Assembly constituency. However, the project will now be executed by the MSIDC.

The decision marks a continued shift in NMC's approach to infrastructure development, with major works increasingly being handed over to the state-run agency. This reflects both the limitations of NMC's project management capacity and the state govt's growing confidence in MSIDC's execution abilities.

Proposed on Plot No. 14 of Orange City Street, the new auditorium will be modelled after the Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Sabhagruha, one of the city's premier cultural venues.

Designed by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor, the facility will have a seating capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 people. It will also include an art gallery and a convocation centre. The project is expected to cost several hundred crores, making it one of the most expensive cultural infrastructure projects ever undertaken by the civic body.

At a review meeting held on Saturday, state revenue and guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directed the NMC to hand over the project to MSIDC for faster and more professional execution. Senior officials from NMC's Public Works Department (PWD) confirmed the move.

The proposed auditorium is not the only high-value project MSIDC is handling in Nagpur. The agency has already been tasked with redeveloping six of the city's nine major markets — Santra Market, Netaji Market, Itwari Market, Dahi Bazaar, Cotton Market, and Dik Dispensary. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NMC and MSIDC in February 2024. The NMC will independently manage the remaining three — Budhwar Bazaar, Bhandewadi Market, and Ganeshpeth Market. Construction work has already begun at Budhwar Bazaar, while tenders for the other two are currently being processed.

According to officials, MSIDC has already completed Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for several infrastructure projects in the city, including two major commercial plazas at Cotton Market and Dik Dispensary in Dharampeth. Although tenders have been floated for both, revisions in the DPRs are currently underway.

This trend signals a diminishing role for the NMC's PWD in executing new capital works. Except for the ongoing Cement Concrete Road Phase-IV project, the department is now largely limited to the routine repair and maintenance of roads and bridges. "Most of the large-scale redevelopment and construction projects are being handed over to MSIDC," a senior PWD official acknowledged.

NMC projects yet to take off

Sokta Bhavan Commercial Complex (G+17) on 3,578.47 sq m

Pardi Commercial Complex (G+14) on 5,368.90 sq m

Ganeshpeth Fire Station cum Commercial Complex (G+7) on 2,589.70 sq m

Orange City Street Commercial Complex (G+10) on 11,622.84 sq m

Orange City Street Market Complex (G+1) on 13,995 sq m.

Danaganj Mall project on land exceeding 20,000 sq m