Stung by AMC’s apathy lawyer to seek Rs 10 as ‘compensation’

A 57-year-old lawyer who, along with his family, has been facing bee attacks at his residence plans to send a legal notice to civic body chief and demand Rs 10 as ‘damages’.

The reason: earlier this month, he mailed two letters with stamps costing Rs 10 to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to draw its attention to the bee problem. Both the letters were returned unread.

The lawyer, Dilip M Shah, claims the civic body cannot reject any post. “A government department or a body like the AMC cannot refuse any post. My mails were rejected twice. I fail to fathom why,” he said.

Shah has been urging AMC to get rid of a honeycomb on a tree outside his flat in Shital Sagar Apartment, Navrangpura, for more than a month now.

“I and my family members have been facing bee attacks. I have repeatedly requested civic authorities to remove the honeycomb from the tree in front of our kitchen, but to no avail,” he said.

Shah said that the menace of the inspects had forced his family to avoid stepping into the kitchen balcony after sundown. “I wrote to the AMC twice, on April 1 and April 7. On both the occasions, my letters were returned,” he said. “After the letters were sent back, I phoned AMC’s west zone office. My call was transferred to different departments. No official, however, came on the line.”

Shah’s April 1 letter was sent back to him on April 4, while the other on April 8. “The first letter was returned to me without the      stamp,” he claimed.

The lawyer said that he would serve a notice to Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam over the civic body’s failure to take note of his problem and seek the money he spent on stamps. “I and my family members are fed up with these inspects. We don’t want to live in this constant fear of being stung,” he said.

When Mirror contacted Deputy Municipal Commissioner U C Padia, he said that the issue of Shah’s letters had not been brought to his notice. “I will, however, look into this issue,” Padia, who is in charge of west zone, said.