The Times of India              24.05.2013

Surat Municipal Corporation to acquire land for public utility facilities

SURAT: Following the refusal of plot owners, standing committee of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) took a decision to acquire 1.61 lakh sq meters of land for the construction of Sports complex, Water distribution center and a garden in Dumas area of the city.

This is for the first time that committee has taken a decision to adopt confrontationist approach in taking possession of the land put under reservation .

" After discussions with land owners in question as we have not received approval from them we decided to acquire this land as some public utility facilities need to come up in that part of the city." Said Praful Panseriya in-charge Chairman, standing committee.

"The land owners would be paid compensation of their land according to the government terms," he said.

The reservations for construction of public utility facility like Water distribution center, sports complex and Garden were put on different chunks of land located at Dumas in 1997 Development plan of Surat Urban Development authority (SUDA).

In 2004, under the revised plan and map of SUDA, proposal was placed on record. SMC needed to acquire the land before 10 year period and so this decision was finally taken despite possibility of confrontation.

The proposal is for construction of sports complex on 63,614 sq meters, 66,357 sq meters for garden and 319 sq meters for water distribution center on different chunks of land in different part of Dumas.