Ahmedabad Garba plot used for four days of Navratri events has been sealed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation after organisers allegedly proceeded without paying ₹41.84 lakh in rent, security deposit and other charges, according to a report by Sandesh. The action was taken on October 15 at a plot on the Jagatpur-Gota Road in Ahmedabad’s Gota ward.
The amount reportedly included ₹21 lakh fixed as rent for the Garba venue, ₹19 lakh as a security deposit and additional charges. Sandesh reported that no payment had been deposited even though the event continued for four days. The AMC’s north-west zone estate department reportedly became aware of the issue on October 14, following which a municipal team visited the site the next morning and sealed the plot.
The case has raised questions about how organisers were allowed to use a municipal property without completing the prescribed payment process. The chairperson of the AMC Standing Committee said Garba plots are allotted through an online process and that approval is to be granted only after the stipulated amount has been paid. The report did not identify the organisers by name.
The incident also points to a separation between different approval systems governing public events. Sandesh reported that rent receipts are not checked as part of the fire No Objection Certificate process. The report said this had brought the estate department’s role under scrutiny, while also alleging that responsibility was being shifted towards the fire department. These allegations have not been independently confirmed in the supplied material.
The AMC is considering recovery of the amount, including a penalty for use of the property. The report said the civic body may also enter the dues as a charge against the organisers’ property tax account. A police complaint was reportedly being processed, although the supplied report did not confirm that an FIR had been registered.
The issue could also affect members of the public who purchased Garba passes in advance. According to Sandesh, passes had been sold before the organisers obtained lawful approval to use the municipal plot. The report said that if the event was unable to continue after the sealing and ticket buyers lost money, the organisers could face a police complaint for alleged fraud.
The episode places the municipal estate department, its deputy estate officer and the Gota ward inspector under scrutiny over the monitoring of civic property allotted for commercial or public events. The next steps identified in the report are recovery of the dues, possible penal action and the completion of the process for a police complaint.
