Vapi, Anand among 9 municipalities given civic body status

The nine municipalities conferred with the municipal corporation status include Navsari, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Surendranagar/Vadhvan, Morbi, Porbandar/Chhaya and Gandhidham.

The Cabinet’s decision was announced by spokesperson of the government and senior minister Rushikesh Patel in a press briefing.

“The cabinet has given its approval to the formation of nine new municipal corporations. Notification in that regard will be out in a day or two. In coming days, nine new municipal corporations will come into existence. And with that, the urban area of Gujarat will cross 50%,” he

said.

Patel said that these areas will be notified as larger urban area and then Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 will be made applicable to it. And then, he added, an administrator will be appointed and the elected body of the nine municipalities will be dissolved.

The administrator will then take over the administration and the election of the municipal corporation will be held after formation of wards and delimitation and fixing other such issues.

By late Wednesday evening, the state government transferred nine IAS and GAS officers to the Urban Development & Urban Housing Department for their appointment as municipal commissioners of the nine new municipal corporations.

Gujarat already has eight municipal corporations; Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Gandhinagar. With nine new municipal corporations, the total number of these urban bodies will be 17. And the number of municipalities will be down to 149.

Navsari municipal corporation will include areas of Navsari municipality, and village panchayats of Dantej, Dharagiri, Eru and Hansapor. Gandhidham municipal corporation will include Gandhidham municipality and village panchayats of Kidana, Galpadar, Antarjal, Shinay, Meghpar-Borichi and Meghpar-Kumbhardi.

Morbi municipal corporation will have areas of Morbi municipality and village panchayats of Shaktasanala, Ravapara, Lilapar, Amreli, Nani Vavdi, Bhadiyad (Javahar), Trajpar (Maliya Vanaliya), Mahendranagar (Indiranagar) and Madhapar/Vajepar Oji.

Vapi municipality and village panchayats of Balithha, Salvav, Chhiri, Chharvada, Chanod, Karvad, Namdha, Chandor, Morai, Vatar and Kunta village panchayats will be part of the Vapi municipal corporation. Whereas, Anand Municipal Corporation will include areas of three municipalities Vallabhvidhyanagar, Karamsad and Anand along with village panchayats of Mogri, Gitodiya, Gamdi and Lambhvel.

Mehsana municipal corporation will have areas of Mehsana municipality and areas of village panchayats like Fatepara, Ramosana, Dediyasan, Palavasna, Heduva Hanumant, Taleti, Lakhvad, Palodar, Panchot, Gilosan, Nugar, and

Sakhpurda. The municipalities of Surendranagar, Dudhrej and Vadhvan along with village panchayats of Khamisana, Kherali, Malod, Mulchand, and Chamaraj will together form Surendranagar municipal corporation.

The Porbandar Municipal Corporation will include Porbandar/Chhaya municipality and village panchayats of Vanana (Virpur), Digvijaygadh, Ratanpar and Zavar.

Nadiad Municipal Corporation in Central Gujarat will have areas of Nadiad municipality and village panchayats of Yoginagar, Piplag, Dumral, Fatepura, Kamla, Manjipura, Dabhan, Bilodara, Uttarsanda and Tundel.

Patel said the formation of new municipal corporation, among other things, will result in many employment opportunities not only for people living in those areas but also for people living in the outskirts. In future, the facilities for the people will be increased with implementation of projects like riverfront, metro and BRTS.