Heavy protest by members over ₹7 crore grant allocation in Morbi District Panchayat

During the general body meeting held at the Morbi District Panchayat office, members expressed intense anger and protest regarding the ₹7 crore grant allocated for development works and its utilisation. During the meeting, members raised questions regarding the lack of transparency in the allocation of the grant, leading to significant uproar and a state of controversy in the assembly.

The issue of ₹45 lakh administrative expenditure became the central focus of this controversy. When questions were raised in the meeting regarding the ₹45 lakh expenditure incurred by the Panchayat, the President of the District Panchayat, Gitaben Dubariya, stated that she had no official knowledge of where and how this expenditure was made. As the President herself was unaware of these financial details, she came under fire from opposition members and was cornered in the meeting.

Members from both the BJP and Congress parties expressed their displeasure regarding the grant issue and showed dissatisfaction with the administrative functioning. Statistically, there are 17 BJP members and 7 Congress members in the Morbi District Panchayat. However, due to the equations of rotationally reserved seats, the post of President was allotted to the Congress, which has led to this controversy amidst internal political maneuvering and a lack of coordination, despite the BJP having a clear majority.

The Morbi District Panchayat is a local self-government institution that manages the development-oriented works of the district. In this Panchayat, discussions regarding development works and the utilisation of the budget are conducted by the members.