The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation sealed the ‘Faliyum’ garba venue at its Jagatpur-Gota Road plot on 15 October after organisers allegedly held four days of events without depositing the required ₹40 lakh in rent and security deposit, according to AMC authorities.
The plot, located in the Gota ward, had been allotted for the Navratri garba event. The municipal corporation had fixed rent of ₹21 lakh and a security deposit of ₹19 lakh, taking the total payable amount to ₹40 lakh. The amount had not been deposited even after the event had continued for four days, the report said.
The matter came to the attention of the AMC’s North West Zone estate department on 14 October. A civic team reached the venue on the morning of 15 October and sealed the plot while garba activities were being held, according to the report.
The action has raised questions about how the venue was allowed to become operational without confirmation of payment. Garba plot allotments are conducted through an online process, and permission for the event is expected to be granted only after the prescribed amount has been paid. The reported lapse has put the functioning of the AMC estate department’s central office, the North West Zone deputy estate officer and the Gota ward inspector under scrutiny.
The chairman of the AMC Standing Committee said plots are allotted during Navratri for garba events and that the payment conditions applied to the Jagatpur Road venue. The reported failure to deposit the money has prompted questions about whether payment verification was completed before the organisers began using the site and why the issue was not identified earlier.
The event was also charging participants between ₹500 and ₹4,000 for tickets, according to the report. While ticket revenue was being collected from participants, the required payment to the civic body had not been deposited, the report said.
AMC authorities are also expected to examine whether the organisers had obtained the fire No Objection Certificate required for the event. The report did not establish whether a fire NOC had been issued. Officials said the matter would be investigated, and action could follow if any violation of applicable requirements is found.
The case places two separate municipal controls under scrutiny: the collection of public revenue from the use of civic land and verification of safety permissions before a large public gathering begins. The AMC’s investigation into the payment record, the approval process and the fire NOC will determine the next steps in the matter.
