For Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the year 2010 did not augur well as far as legal cases against it are concerned. The civic body lost almost every second case that was disposed of by various courts and tribunals in the year.

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In 2010, a total of 1,306 cases were disposed of and of this 627 cases went against the civic body, which means it lost 48% of the cases to which it was a party. In view of this "grim scene", where the percentage of cases lost by AMC is so high, the opposition Congress has demanded that advocates on AMC's panel be changed.

In fact, the percentage of cases that AMC lost has almost doubled in three years. While in 2008 the civic body lost 231 (or 23%) of 987 cases, it lost 322 (or 29%) of 1,122 cases in 2009. 

However, the success percentage of AMC's cases in Gujarat High Court and in the cases of valuation appeals is high. The civic body got success in an average of 75% cases in the High Court and average 88% cases of valuation appeals in these three years.

On the other hand, it has lost majority of the cases in the metropolitan court with success in only 6% cases on an average in three years.

The civic body has paid Rs2.85 crore to advocates on its panel in last four years _ from 2008 to 2011.

The Congress has demanded that the civic body review the performance of its advocates and implement suitable changes in the panel so that maximum number of judgements go in favour of AMC.

"The cases going against the civic body are going against the residents of Ahmedabad," said Badruddin Shaikh, leader of opposition in AMC. He said that AMC is paying a hefty amount to the advocates on panel from the tax payers' money.