New Gujarat Rule: Societies Under 10 Years May Have To Pay For Roads, Water, Drainage And Streetlights

Residents of housing societies less than 10 years old may now have to bear the cost of basic civic infrastructure such as roads, water supply, drainage and streetlights, following a change in the Gujarat government's rules governing works funded through public participation schemes.

The change, communicated to the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and other urban local bodies, restricts the use of government grants for basic facility works in societies whose assessment period on municipal tax records has not completed 10 years.

Under the revised policy, only housing societies that have completed 10 years from their assessment period will be eligible for basic infrastructure works through the public participation scheme using government grants.

Societies below the 10-year threshold will not be eligible for the same government-funded assistance for works such as roads, drainage, water supply and streetlights.

The decision is expected to affect a large number of newer housing societies in Surat, where hundreds of residential developments are added every year.