Ahmedabad Fire Station Without Power for Over 140 Hours; ₹3.67 Lakh Bill Unpaid

Electricity supply to Prahladnagar Fire Station was disconnected over unpaid dues, affecting lighting in the garage, washroom and water pump area; a dismissed station officer allegedly continues to occupy government quarters despite notices.

Ahmedabad’s Prahladnagar Fire Station has reportedly been without electricity for more than 140 hours after its power connection was disconnected over outstanding dues of ₹3.67 lakh. The disruption has affected lighting in the garage, washroom and water pump area, raising concerns about the functioning of an emergency service facility.

The situation has also brought attention to the alleged continued occupation of government quarters by a station officer who was removed from service but has not vacated the accommodation, according to the details available.

₹3.67 lakh in electricity dues; quarters not vacated

Station Officer Mehul Gadhvi and former Divisional Fire Officer Inayat Sheikh had reportedly occupied officer quarters associated with the Prahladnagar Fire Station for nearly two years. Electricity bills and accommodation rent allegedly remained unpaid during this period.

The electricity connection was eventually disconnected after dues accumulated over approximately 18 months to two years.

The outage has affected the fire station’s garage, washroom and water pump facilities. The garage reportedly remains dark at night, raising questions about the availability of essential infrastructure at a facility responsible for emergency response.

Dismissed officer allegedly continues to occupy quarters

Gadhvi was removed from service following an investigation into an alleged recruitment-related qualification fraud involving National Fire Service College certificates. Sheikh was also dismissed after being caught allegedly accepting a bribe.

While Sheikh reportedly vacated his officer quarters recently, Gadhvi has yet to vacate the accommodation. Following the disconnection of electricity, he reportedly returned to his native village, leaving his belongings inside the quarters.

Despite notices issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the accommodation has reportedly not been vacated, raising questions about the action taken to recover possession of government property.

Eligible officers forced to stay in smaller rooms

The continued occupation of officer quarters has reportedly affected other fire department personnel who are eligible for the accommodation.

Around five to seven officers who became eligible for officer quarters following promotions are still living in smaller staff quarters, according to the information available.

The situation has highlighted concerns over the allocation of government accommodation, particularly when personnel who are no longer serving in their positions allegedly continue to occupy official housing.

Similar cases reported at other fire stations

The issue is not limited to Prahladnagar. Similar allegations of officers or employees continuing to occupy official quarters after being removed from service have also surfaced at other fire stations.

Those named in the reported cases include Station Officer Shubham Khadia at Maninagar Fire Station, Station Officer Sudhir Gadhvi at Naroda Fire Station, Fireman Eric Ribello at Jamalpur Fire Station, Sub-Fire Officer Asif Sheikh at Shahpur Fire Station and Chief Fire Officer Amit Dongre at Navrangpura Fire Station.

The reported cases have raised broader questions about the recovery of government accommodation and outstanding dues from former employees.

Questions over AMC action and fire station operations

The prolonged power outage has raised concerns about the maintenance of essential facilities at a fire station, where reliable infrastructure is critical to emergency response.

The outstanding electricity bill of ₹3.67 lakh, alleged unpaid accommodation rent and continued occupation of quarters have also prompted questions about the corporation’s enforcement of its own housing rules.

The key issues now are when electricity will be restored, how the outstanding dues will be recovered and when the remaining government accommodation will be vacated.