In reaction to the construction of an illegal commercial building in Rashtriya Shala— a trust-run educational institution established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1921— the Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s (RMC) town planning department ordered the trust to demolish the upcoming structure within seven days.

The vigilance department of RMC has also come under fire after Rajkot District Collector H S Patel, who is also the acting RMC commissioner, issued a showcause notice to the department for its failure to prevent construction despite a complaint in this regard.

The upcoming structure, which is spread on an area of 500 square metres within the Rashtriya Shala campus facing Vidyanagar Main Road, is a beauty parlour owned by Mamta Mistry, the relative of a trustee, Vithal Ahiya.

“A notice to demolish the structure has been issued, as it is completely illegal. The historic land belongs to the trust and it cannot be used for commercial activity,” said Patel. The notice has been served to the trust as well as Mistry.

Investigation by the RMC, after the issue was raised by Bharat Tanna, a government employee and former student of Rashtriya Shala, also revealed that RMC vigilance department had failed to stop the construction even though the issue had been brought to its notice by Tanna in March.

Patel has sought an explanation from the vigilance department. In this regard, a complaint to the town planning department had been lodged by Tanna.

The RMC in December had approved the building plan submitted by Ahiya. But permission was withdrawn in March after Tanna raised an issue about the legality of such a commercial construction in Rashtriya Shala. Although the vigilance department was asked to keep a watch, a roof over four walls was constructed in the first week of June.