The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation sealed a garba venue on the Jagatpur-Gota Road on October 15 after organisers allegedly operated the event for four days without paying the required Rs 21 lakh rent and Rs 19 lakh deposit for the civic plot.
The action was taken by the AMC team after the unpaid amount came to the attention of the Estate Department in the civic body’s North West Zone. The plot had been rented for a garba event called Faliyu, according to information reported by Divya Bhaskar and statements attributed to AMC Standing Committee chairman Kamlesh Patel.
The total amount payable to the corporation was Rs 40 lakh, including the rent and security deposit. However, the organisers allegedly did not deposit the amount during the first four days of the event. The civic team sealed the venue on the morning of October 15, while the organisers’ material remained inside the plot, Patel was quoted as saying.
The case has also raised questions about how the venue was allowed to become operational before the payment was completed. Under the AMC’s stated process, applications for renting a civic plot are submitted online, and the required payment must be made before permission is issued and possession is handed over.
The report said the application had been submitted by a person identified as Ashish Patel around 15 days before the event. The applicants were required to pay the rent and deposit within the prescribed period. After that period ended without payment, the corporation proceeded to seal the plot.
The municipal process for renting a plot for a public event also requires police, fire brigade and other permissions, according to the report. These approvals are expected to be completed along with the online payment process before the site is handed over to organisers.
The incident has placed the functioning of the AMC Estate Department under scrutiny. Questions have been raised about the role of the department’s central office, the deputy estate officer of the North West Zone and the inspector assigned to the Gota ward, since the event was reportedly allowed to proceed even though the corporation had not received the required payment.
The sealing means the organisers cannot access or continue using the municipal plot unless the corporation takes a further decision. The report did not provide details of any additional penalty, recovery action or timeline for reopening the venue. The next steps will depend on the AMC’s action regarding the unpaid rent, deposit and the permissions associated with the event.
