Gujarat: Nine new civic bodies to get free govt land for key public infra

Gandhinagar, July 10 (IANS) The Gujarat government on Friday decided to provide government land free of cost for five years to nine newly formed municipal corporations to help them develop essential civic infrastructure during their transition from municipalities to municipal corporations.

The decision, taken by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, applies to the municipal corporations of Mehsana, Nadiad, Anand, Navsari, Vapi, Morbi, Gandhidham, Surendranagar and Porbandar.

The government said the measure is intended to strengthen urban local bodies and enable them to deliver basic civic services more efficiently as they expand their administrative responsibilities.

Under the decision, the municipal corporations will receive government land free of cost for the construction of 11 categories of public utility projects considered essential for urban development. The benefit will remain available for the next five years.

The projects eligible under the scheme include Municipal Seva Sadan office buildings, fire stations, sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, underground sewerage networks, pumping stations, water supply infrastructure, solid and liquid waste management plants, stormwater drainage works for rainwater disposal, balwadis (anganwadis), and public buildings such as town halls, community halls and convention centres.

According to the state government, the nine civic bodies were previously classified as Class 'A' municipalities and have recently been upgraded to municipal corporations.

The transition has also involved adding substantial new areas to their jurisdictions, increasing the need for civic infrastructure and public services.

To support this transition, the government has decided to simplify the land allotment process at the district level to increase development work across the newly expanded municipal corporation areas.

The nine municipal corporations were created after the Gujarat Cabinet approved the upgradation of nine Class 'A' municipalities on January 1 last year, marking the state's first expansion of municipal corporations in 14 years since the formation of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation in 2010.

The move increased the total number of municipal corporations in Gujarat from eight to 17.

District collectors were initially appointed as administrators until elected civic bodies could be constituted.

--IANS

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