SMC officials face heat over rampant illegal constructions in Surat, ET RealEstate
SURAT: After a crackdown on individuals extorting money by threatening to expose unauthorised constructions, the focus has now shifted to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials for allegedly turning a blind eye to rampant illegal construction across the city.
The issue came to light during a city coordination meeting on Saturday, where BJP MLA Arvind Rana submitted a written complaint in the presence of municipal commissioner Shalini Agarwal and other city MLAs. He alleged large-scale corruption and unchecked unauthorised construction in residential, commercial, and private buildings.
According to Rana, despite several demolitions, illegal floors were reconstructed in many buildings, indicating a nexus between corrupt officials and developers. “These activities are taking place under the watch of SMC staff. Such large-scale unauthorised construction is impossible without the involvement of the town planning department,” he stated.
In his letter, Rana also highlighted how some individuals were misusing Right to Information (RTI) data to threaten property owners, demanding money to avoid demolition. “Those extorting developers using RTI-based threats have already been booked, and others are in hiding. But what about the SMC officials who allowed this illegal work to happen in the first place?” Rana asked.
Municipal commissioner Agarwal was reportedly surprised by the scale of the issue and immediately instructed senior officials to identify those responsible. She assigned deputy municipal commissioner Manish Doctor to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
As part of the response, it was decided that a committee comprising IAS officers from the SMC will be formed to draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) aimed at curbing illegal construction and fixing official accountability.
Rana demanded that SMC staff involved in such activities be issued notices and face strict disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal. Earlier, following Rana’s push, city police had registered 77 FIRs against individuals who were allegedly running newspapers and using RTI findings to extort money from developers.
