The Gujarat Government has asked the Morbi municipality to submit a fresh reply to a show-cause notice as to why it should not be dissolved for failing to discharge its duties before the collapse of a suspension bridge in the town that killed 135 people last year.
The Urban Development Department said in a letter to the chief of the municipality that it should submit a written reply, duly approved by its general body, by February 16. The show-cause notice had been issued on January 18. The government did not accept a reply dated February 7 sent by the municipality's lawyer, and asked for a fresh reply so that it could consider whether the civic body should be given an in-person hearing. In view of the government's new deadline, the municipality has called an urgent general body meeting on Wednesday, civic sources said.