Surat BJP City Executive Member Accused of Occupying Municipal Land for 10 Years, Renting It Out for Profit

Complaint alleges two valuable plots reserved for public purposes were occupied and rented out for years; demand made for an impartial vigilance probe, recovery of civic losses and removal of encroachment.

Serious allegations have been levelled that valuable land owned by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and reserved for a public purpose has allegedly been under occupation for the past 10 years and rented out for private financial gain.

According to the complaint, a BJP city executive member has allegedly occupied two plots owned by the municipal corporation for several years and rented them out to other people, collecting regular rent. The allegations involve not only encroachment on municipal land but also alleged private rental income from the property, resulting in financial losses to the civic body.

Complaint Seeks Vigilance Probe

The complainant has demanded an immediate and impartial vigilance investigation into the matter. The complaint seeks an inquiry into the construction and use of the plots over the past decade, calculation of the financial loss allegedly caused to the municipal corporation and recovery of the amount from those responsible.

A further demand has been made to remove the alleged encroachment from the reserved plots and take the land back under the control of the municipal corporation.

Action is periodically taken against illegal encroachments on municipal land reserved for public purposes in Surat. Against this backdrop, the complaint regarding the alleged long-term private use of municipal reservation land in Puna has raised questions about the civic body's monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

A complaint has been submitted to the Municipal Commissioner concerning Final Plot Nos. R-20 (SEWS) and R-23 of TP Scheme No. 60 (Puna).

According to the complaint, both plots have allegedly been under occupation for the last 10 years and have been rented out to other people, with regular rent being collected.

Alleged Private Use of Reserved Municipal Land

The complaint alleges that the private and commercial use of land owned by the municipal corporation has not only prevented the plots from being utilised for their designated public purpose but has also caused financial losses to the civic body.

The allegations have also raised questions about the corporation's oversight, particularly because the SMC maintains strict recovery measures when collecting property tax and other dues from ordinary citizens, while its own valuable land is alleged to have been used privately for years.

The key question is: If the municipal land was indeed occupied and rented out for 10 years, why did the civic administration fail to detect it for such a long period?

It has also become necessary to establish whether any action had previously been taken against the use of the plots despite their reserved status.

Another aspect requiring investigation is whether any construction was carried out on the plots during the alleged period of occupation and what purpose the land was being used for.

The complaint reiterates that the alleged private and commercial use of municipal land has both obstructed its intended public purpose and potentially caused financial losses to the corporation.

Demand for Impartial Vigilance Investigation

Complainant B.K. Patel has sought an immediate and impartial vigilance inquiry into the entire matter.

The complainant has also requested that satellite imagery be examined to determine the construction and usage status of the plots over the past 10 years.

Other demands include immediate removal of the alleged illegal encroachment from both reserved plots, taking possession of the land on behalf of the municipal corporation, calculating the financial loss allegedly suffered by the SMC and recovering the amount from those responsible.

The complaint has also sought strict legal and criminal action against those allegedly involved in the unauthorised use of government property.

A copy of the relevant TP plan has also been submitted along with the complaint.

The next step will be to see whether the municipal administration conducts a site inspection, verifies the relevant documents and examines satellite records to establish the facts.

In particular, the investigation will have to determine whether the civic administration remained unaware of the alleged occupation for 10 years or whether officials failed to act despite being aware of it. The answer to that question is likely to emerge only after the inquiry.