Distribute funds collected for museum : Gulberg residents to Teesta
Ahamedabad, March 12, 2013 : A group of residents of Gulberg Society has asked activist Teesta Setalvad to distribute the money that she has reportedly collected over the last 11 years in the name of opening Museum of Resistance at the housing society, which had come under attack during the 2002 riots in the city.
A notice signed by 12 residents was sent to Setalvad of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) at her Mumbai residence through post on February 21. The copy of the notice was made public on Wednesday.
The notice stated that the residents have come to know through RTI queries that Setalvad has "collected huge donations from national and international organisations in the name of providing financial assistance for reconstruction of houses or developing the society into a museum".
"But despite collecting foreign donation of Rs 63 lakh in the account of CJP and Rs 88 lakh in the account of Sabrang Trust, nothing has been passed on to the members of society..." it added.
According to the notice, Setalvad had been promising since 2007 and regularly advertising the idea of the museum in her NGO's magazine 'Communalism Combat' to collect donations. She had allegedly stated in her advertisements (annexed with the notice) that she would distribute the money collected for the museum to the society members.
While Setalvad refused to comment on the issue, Feroz Saeed Khan, one of the witnesses in the case, said, "We had to serve a notice to Teesta Setalvad because all these years she promised to reconstruct these houses and also develop a museum. Moreover, it was never clear what she wanted to do with it. The money was collected in name of museum while we were also promised new houses on the same land."
The residents had two months ago passed a resolution to sell off their houses to private builders or locals.
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