Vadodara: A Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) councillor has sought an impartial inquiry into the locking of the civic body’s main gate on Thursday, alleging that the move prevented citizens protesting against the city’s severe water shortage from entering the headquarters.In a complaint submitted to the municipal commissioner and the city police commissioner on Friday, Ward 14 councillor Deepa Madhubhai Shrivastav questioned the legality of the action and demanded accountability from the officials concerned, including Mangesh Jaiswal, director of encroachment and security.According to Shrivastav, around 45 to 50 women had gathered at the VMC headquarters after repeated complaints about the acute water shortage and their dependence on tankers failed to elicit a satisfactory response. She alleged that the main gate was locked on Jaiswal’s instructions, preventing the women from entering the premises.The councillor further claimed that she herself was initially stopped from leaving through the gate, despite directing security personnel to open it.The group eventually submitted a representation to the deputy municipal commissioner, as the municipal commissioner was unavailable at the time.Questioning the rationale behind the restriction, Shrivastav maintained that citizens must be allowed to approach the civic administration with genuine grievances, particularly in light of the municipal commissioner’s announcement that members of the public could meet him on Thursdays.In her complaint, the councillor sought clarification on who had ordered the gate to be locked, the legal provisions invoked to justify the restriction and whether any written order or police directive had authorised the action.Shivastav urged the authorities to preserve CCTV footage, security registers and duty rosters to facilitate a thorough and impartial investigation. She also called for appropriate action against those responsible if any wrongdoing is established.
