Ahmedabad, Nov 1 (IANS): BJP's senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has raised questions over the renovation contract given to Oreva group's Ajanta Manufacturing Company Ltd.

Patel has, however, given a clean chit to the state government and claimed that the government has no role to play in giving the renovation contract to the company.

Patel, while speaking to the local media here, said, "On what ground and technical qualification the Morbi Nagarpalika decided to give the renovation contract to Ajanta Manufacturing, the company that has no technical or previous experience of constructing bridge and renovation, and that too a specialised bridge."

He hoped that the state government would form a probe panel to dig deep into the mistakes and mismanagement.

In another development, soon after the Chief Minister's Office announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Morbi, the government hospital building was being immediately and repaired on war footing. This attracted criticism from veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela.

Vaghela condemned the decision to give a new look to the hospital only because the Prime Minister is visiting there. He said, "When the hospital should be ready to handle crises, no one bothered, now the town is observing mourning for the deaths of 141 innocent people, the district administration is busy cleaning and repainting the hospital. Whoever has given this order should feel ashamed."

An Advocate, Bhaumik Shah has written to the Chief Justice of Gujarat, requesting him to initiate suo motu PIL in the Morbi Tragedy. He has pleaded that a sitting or retired judge should head the inquiry.