Premsankar Bhatt 81-yr-old fought for G’nagar civic body

Premshankar Bhatt, a retired IAS officer who once served as urban secretary, started a campaign to seek a municipality for the state capital 14 years ago

DILIP PATEL

The Narendra Modi government, following an order issued by the Gujarat High Court six months ago, on Tuesday took the first step in giving Gandhinagar a civic body. It formally announced in the assembly that Gandhinagar would become the eighth city in the state to get a municipal corporation.
However, it was not just the court’s directive that compelled the government to make the landmark announcement. It was an 81-yearold man’s relentless efforts that tipped the scales in the favour of state capital’s well-being.
Premshankar Bhatt, a retired IAS officer who once served Gujarat as the urban secretary, started a campaign to seek a municipal body for Gandhinagar 14 years ago. In fact, the court order is a result of a PIL filed by an NGO founded by Bhatt.
“I decided to take up the fight of helping Gandhinagar get a municipal corporation because I could not tolerate the increasing number of civic problems such as cleanliness affecting its denizens,” Bhatt said.
“Besides, I am a proud resident of Gandhinagar. How can I just stand and witness the city being denied a constitutional right.” According to the Constitution, every large urban area should have a local governing body.
Bhatt’s NGO, Gandhinagar Shahar Jagrut Nagrik Parishad, filed the PIL challenging the government’s reluctance to give the city such a body in 2007. On September 17, 2009, the high court asked the government to begin the process of forming a municipality in six months.
“The PIL was filed in 2007, but my battle began in 1996. I joined a senior citizen’s council and raked up the issue. The attempt didn’t bear results, so a few years later I formed Gandhinagar Shahar Jagrut Nagrik Parishad to my campaign forward,” he said.
The 81-year-old said that between 2001 and 2007 he wrote several letters to various government departments, officials and even the chief minister to seek a municipality for the city. The NGO, he said, also held a satyagraha.
“After the PIL was filed, there were attempts by the state government to delay the case. These attempts, however, failed,” he claimed.
Interestingly, the legal fight was not the only battle he won against the state government. During the course of his campaign, he filed an RTI application to seek copies of government documents relating to the issue.
The documents included notes made by officials during a meeting of the state cabinet. The government reportedly turned down the request for information, saying it was too sensitive to be shared.
Bhatt then approached the RTI commissioner, who ruled in his favour and asked the government to provide copies of requested documents. This was first of its kind ruling. The retired IAS officer’s campaign was carried forward his son and grandson, Jayant and Jeet.
Jayant, a lawyer, argued the case in the high court. Jeet, law student, conducted a research on cities with local governing bodies and presented his findings in the court to support the case. In the meantime, old age started to take a toll on Bhatt, but he didn’t budge.
Despite facing difficult in walking and hearing, he appeared in court hearings whenever needed. “It’s not just a victory for me or people of Gandhinagar. It’s a victory for the Constitution,” he said.