<p>The state charity commissioner on Monday froze the bank account of an NGO for whom independent MLA Jignesh Mevani has been appealing to people to donate to buy oxygen and other medical facilities, including setting up oxygen plants in his Assembly constituency in Banaskantha district, one of the poorest districts where the coronavirus has exposed poor medical infrastructure. </p>.<p>For the past couple of weeks, Mevani has been campaigning in the district and on social media for fundraising to help people in the district.</p>.<p>“We have issued a show-cause notice to seven trustees of the NGO ‘We The People Charitable Trust’ for who MLA Jignesh Mevani has been appealing people for donation and froze the bank account with SBI. We took the action after receiving complaints that Mevani was not a trustee yet he is appealing for donation. We checked the record of the trust and found several lapses based on which we issued notice to the trustees seeking various details but they didn’t respond which forced us to freeze the bank account,” charity commissioner Y M Shukla told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>He said none of the trustees responded to notices. </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="http://Jignesh Mevani moves HC for direction to use MLA funds for Covid-19 facilities Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/jignesh-mevani-moves-hc-for-direction-to-use-mla-funds-for-covid-19-facilities-980566.html" target="_blank">Jignesh Mevani moves HC for direction to use MLA funds for Covid-19 facilities</a></strong></p>.<p>“The trustees need to respond whether they have passed any resolution allowing Mevani to seek donation,” Shukla said, adding that the trust has also “violated” provision of Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use), Act, 1950 that prevents uses of names for professional and commercial purposes. </p>.<p>When asked about the show cause notice, one of the trustees Kamlesh Katariya told DH: “None of us has received any notice. We came to know about this today and that too through media. Everything we have done is legal. We will respond accordingly.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Vadgam MLA Mevani said: “This is nothing but to halt the work we have been doing in the district. The government is, perhaps, scared of the fact that this fund collection has become a mass movement in villages and talukas of Vadgam. Instead of letting us work for the people who are suffering, the government is trying to halt us. We will respond.” </p>.<p>Due to Mevani’s appeal, the trust is said to have received over Rs 30 lakh. Among the prominent donors is actor Prakash Raj who has donated Rs 4 lakh.</p>
<p>The state charity commissioner on Monday froze the bank account of an NGO for whom independent MLA Jignesh Mevani has been appealing to people to donate to buy oxygen and other medical facilities, including setting up oxygen plants in his Assembly constituency in Banaskantha district, one of the poorest districts where the coronavirus has exposed poor medical infrastructure. </p>.<p>For the past couple of weeks, Mevani has been campaigning in the district and on social media for fundraising to help people in the district.</p>.<p>“We have issued a show-cause notice to seven trustees of the NGO ‘We The People Charitable Trust’ for who MLA Jignesh Mevani has been appealing people for donation and froze the bank account with SBI. We took the action after receiving complaints that Mevani was not a trustee yet he is appealing for donation. We checked the record of the trust and found several lapses based on which we issued notice to the trustees seeking various details but they didn’t respond which forced us to freeze the bank account,” charity commissioner Y M Shukla told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>He said none of the trustees responded to notices. </p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="http://Jignesh Mevani moves HC for direction to use MLA funds for Covid-19 facilities Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/jignesh-mevani-moves-hc-for-direction-to-use-mla-funds-for-covid-19-facilities-980566.html" target="_blank">Jignesh Mevani moves HC for direction to use MLA funds for Covid-19 facilities</a></strong></p>.<p>“The trustees need to respond whether they have passed any resolution allowing Mevani to seek donation,” Shukla said, adding that the trust has also “violated” provision of Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use), Act, 1950 that prevents uses of names for professional and commercial purposes. </p>.<p>When asked about the show cause notice, one of the trustees Kamlesh Katariya told DH: “None of us has received any notice. We came to know about this today and that too through media. Everything we have done is legal. We will respond accordingly.”</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Vadgam MLA Mevani said: “This is nothing but to halt the work we have been doing in the district. The government is, perhaps, scared of the fact that this fund collection has become a mass movement in villages and talukas of Vadgam. Instead of letting us work for the people who are suffering, the government is trying to halt us. We will respond.” </p>.<p>Due to Mevani’s appeal, the trust is said to have received over Rs 30 lakh. Among the prominent donors is actor Prakash Raj who has donated Rs 4 lakh.</p>