The Gujarat government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s decision, will grant government land free of cost for five years to nine newly formed municipal corporations. This initiative aims to assist these corporations in developing essential civic infrastructure during their transition from municipalities to municipal corporations. The move is intended to enhance urban local bodies’ capabilities and improve the delivery of basic civic services as they take on expanded administrative roles.
The municipal corporations of Mehsana, Nadiad, Anand, Navsari, Vapi, Morbi, Gandhidham, Surendranagar, and Porbandar will benefit from this decision. They will be provided with government land at no cost for the construction of 11 categories of public utility projects crucial for urban development. This support will be available for the next five years. The projects include various essential facilities like office buildings, fire stations, sewage treatment plants, water supply infrastructure, and waste management plants, among others.
The state government’s aim is to streamline the transition of these nine civic bodies, which were previously Class ‘A’ municipalities and have recently been upgraded to municipal corporations. With the expansion of their jurisdictions, there is a growing need for civic infrastructure and public services. To facilitate this transition, the government plans to simplify the land allotment process at the district level to accelerate development work across the newly expanded municipal corporation areas.
The decision to upgrade these municipalities to municipal corporations was approved by the Gujarat Cabinet on January 1 last year. This marked the state’s first expansion of municipal corporations in 14 years, increasing the total number of municipal corporations in Gujarat from eight to 17. Initially, district collectors were appointed as administrators until elected civic bodies could be established.
