Rajkot: Months after Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s high-profile demolition drive cleared vast encroachments in Jangleshwar, the focus has shifted from bulldozers to bills, with the new political board withholding approval of nearly Rs 27 lakh spent on food, water and related arrangements during the week-long operation.The demolition, carried out in Feb under the previous elected board, cleared around 87,000 square metres of encroached land and removed nearly 1,400 illegal dwellings. The new political body took office at the end of May after civic elections in April.The controversy surfaced when the administrative wing placed expenditure proposals before the new board for approval.The proposal includes a food bill of nearly Rs 27 lakh for the period from Feb 21 to Feb 28. While demolition took place on Feb 23 and 24, civic teams continued debris clearance until Feb 28.The food items billed includes tea, biscuits, samosas, wafers, kaju katri, khajur rolls, ganthiya, jalebi, poha, lunch meals, lemon soda and other refreshments.A separate bill of Rs 9.94 lakh for mineral water and mandap services has also drawn attention. Sources said RMC paid Rs 8 per 200ml bottle of drinking water, although similar bottles are available for Rs 5.Sources said the pending bill is only for the food as the civic body has a standing contract for bottled water since 2023.Insiders pointed to differences between factions within the BJP, adding that the current leadership has put several development works approved by the previous board on hold, citing austerity measures. Mayor Nehal Shukla declined to comment.Municipal health officer Jayesh Vakani said the expenditure covered arrangements made over seven days for thousands of personnel deployed during the exercise.“This expenditure is for seven days. On the demolition days, lunch was arranged for around 4,800 people, including RMC officers and employees, police personnel, PGVCL and Gujarat Gas staff, labourers and workers engaged in the demolition drive. Breakfast, tea, drinking water and lunch were provided to all of them,” Vakani said.Responding to queries about sweets such as kaju katri in the bill, Vakani said they were served during a media briefing.“On the day of the demolition, the municipal commissioner addressed a press conference. Around 190 media persons were invited, and nearly 150 snack boxes containing sweets were arranged for them,” he said.
