The infrastructure committee of the Gujarat High Court visited the new site at Magdalla and held a meeting with the representatives of Surat District Bar Association and Surat City Advocate Association on January 24, 2026. (File Photo)
The nine-year-long battle of Surat lawyers has come to an end with the Gujarat government recently approving a reserve government land at Magdalla on the banks of the Tapi River for the new Surat court building. The government also allocated Rs 181.11 crore for the construction of the new court building.
The Surat District Bar Association (SDBA) and Surat City Advocate Association (SCAA) received a copy of the order by the Surat district collector approving the allocations on Friday.
Uday Patel, President, SDBA, said, “We are very happy that the government has taken our proposal of government reserve land at Magdalla into consideration and approved our proposal. Earlier, the land was reserved for the construction of government staff quarters.”
As per the details mentioned in the order, the new court complex will come up on 77,951 square metres of land falling in Town Planning Scheme number 4 and final plot number 55 at Magdalla.
For the last few years, the major issue in successive SDBA elections has been the new court complex. The candidates had given assurance to the lawyers that they would be able to find suitable land for a new court complex.
The present Surat court complex is located in the Athwalines area. The shortage of space for parking and seating in the present court complex led to the demand for the construction of a new complex.
The background
A few years ago, the lawyers made representations to the Gujarat High Court and also to the state government’s legal department about the lack of space at the present complex. Thereafter, the government had ordered then-Surat collector Ayush Oak to identify land for the new court complex. The search narrowed to a 55,000 square metre plot of land at Jiyav on the outskirts of Surat city. The collector had passed an order for the allotment of government land at Jiyav Budhiya village on June 17, 2019.
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The lawyers, however, refused to accept the land, citing that the area is too far and that it would be difficult for people to reach the court complex. The area is also adjacent to an industrial zone with a large number of textile factories and chemical units, and there is a major pollution issue.
Later, the SDBA identified land at Margha Kendra near the existing Surat District Court complex and submitted a proposal to the Gujarat High Court and State Law Department. An expert team (Infrastructure Committee) from the State Law Department visited the new location. The committee reported to higher authorities that the land has limited parking space and would not be suitable for the new court complex.
Finally, the SDBA identified government land at Magdalla on the banks of the Tapi River.
The infrastructure committee of the Gujarat High Court visited the new site at Magdalla and held a meeting with the representatives of Surat District Bar Association and Surat City Advocate Association on January 24, 2026.
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The committee submitted a report to the Gujarat High Court, stating that the new land is suitable for the Surat New Court building, and that even the members of two lawyers’ bodies had approved it.
A three-member panel of the Gujarat High Court came down to Surat and visited the spot at Magdalla on February 21, 2026. Later, a proposal was sent to the state government to allot the land for the new court building.
On April 1, Surat District Collector Dr Sourabh Pardhi issued the order allotting the land for the court complex.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
