In a first after a demolition, Gujarat government offers free homes, repairs in Surat

In an unprecedented move following the controversial May 30 demolition drive at Surat’s Nasir Nagar, the Gujarat government Tuesday proposed providing government housing at its own expense to 29 families whose homes were completely razed, and restoring 35 partially damaged structures at the site.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi presented the proposal to the Gujarat High Court, based on a recent survey conducted by the state authorities. The submission came during the first hearing following the transfer of Surat Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan and a sharp rebuke from the High Court over the state’s earlier rehabilitation plan, which would have forced victims to pay Rs 5.

5 lakh each for government housing. Appearing before the bench of Justice Nikhil Kariel, the Advocate General stated that a survey assessing the site’s condition revealed that 29 structures were entirely cleared, while 35 were "partially affected" but remained "habitable" and "could be repaired", "My instructions are that, in respect of the 29 structures, we have the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) housing scheme located 15 minutes away.