Row over Nasirnagar demolition: Surat civic chief transferred, Collector given charge
On the basis of the finding of a probe team set up by the SMC, the Municipal Commissioner, on July 1, suspended five SMC officials involved in the demolition.
JUST THREE days before the state government’s action-taken report on the controversial demolition drive in Surat’s Nasirnagar slums is due to be submitted in the Gujarat High Court (HC), the state government on Tuesday transferred Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner M Nagarajan and posted him as State Project Director in Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gandhinagar. The charge of SMC commissioner has been given to Surat District Collector Tejas Parmar.
IAS officer Ranjeeth Kumar, who was serving as Project Director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gandhinagar, and holding additional charge as secretary, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), Gandhinagar has been given full charge of the latter.
On Monday, during a hearing of the case, HC judge Nikhil Kariel asked the state to explain why several senior government officers, including Nagarajan and police officers, continued to remain in their posts despite an inquiry that was looking into their alleged role in the demolition of several shanties in Nasirnagar slum weeks ago, on May 30.
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Directing the state to file its reply by August 14, the court orally told the advocate general that if the SMC maintained that the demolitions were justified, the officers concerned must “go home”.
On May 30, a team from the SMC’s Central Zone were in Nasirnagar at Ved Road purportedly for the demarcation of a 40-ft road proposed by a private party. The SMC officials were accompanied by Surat Police personnel, led by Special Operation Group Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeepsinh Nakum, along with officials of electricity supplier Torrent Power Ltd.
Over 106 houses were razed allegedly without giving any notices. After media reports flagged the controversial move, SMC Commissioner Nagarajan uploaded a video message on social media in the first week of June, claiming that the demolition was not carried out by SMC.
As many as 26 of the affected persons filed a petition in the HC, questioning on the Ghost Demolition on June 8. Nagarajan formed a six-member high-level committee to probe allegations involving SMC officials in the demolition at Nasirnagar.
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On June 11, an additional city engineer with the SMC, Ashish Naik, posted a video on social media in which he claimed that the demolition was “carried out by SMC as per the rules and regulations.” Soon after, Nagarajan said in another video message that “the demolition was carried out by SMC officials of the Central Zone.”
On the basis of the finding of a probe team set up by the SMC, the Municipal Commissioner, on July 1, suspended five SMC officials involved in the demolition: Executive Engineer (Civil) Sujalkumar Prajapati, Executive Engineer (Civil) Jayang Jivramjiwala, Deputy Engineer (Civil) Arpan Mansukh Parmar, Assistant Engineer (Civil) Maunik Gadhiya and Assistant Engineer (Civil) Nareshkumar Galchar. Prajapati has moved a separate petition before the HC challenging his suspension.
Over 150 families were subsequently shifted to the Bharimata community hall of the SMC, around 100 metres from the demolition site. SMC Commissioner M Nagarajan directed a team of senior officials to carry out a survey and shift the demolition-affected families to EWS quarters at Jehangirpura. The survey is still underway, official sources said.
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
