Surat Municipal Commissioner Transferred After HC Heat Amid Nasir Nagar Demolition Backlash

Aftermath of Nasir Nagar Demolition In a late-night administrative shake-up, the Gujarat government abruptly transferred Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner M. Nagarajan out of his role following sharp criticism from the Gujarat High Court over the controversial Nasir Nagar demolition drive.

Nagarajan, an IAS officer, has been reassigned as the State Project Director for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in Gandhinagar, replacing Ranjit Kumar J. Surat District Collector Tejas Parmar has been handed additional charge as the Surat Municipal Commissioner with immediate effect.

The sudden midnight transfer order issued by the General Administration Department comes amidst mounting scrutiny over the SMC’s handling of the demolition in Nasir Nagar. During court proceedings surrounding multiple petitions filed by affected residents and suspended civic officials, the High Court adopted a stern stance regarding the role of senior officers and directed that accountability be established.

The controversy deepened after initial statements from the civic body denied any involvement in the demolition. However, Commissioner Nagarajan later backtracked, acknowledging that SMC teams had indeed executed the drive. This sharp contradiction created severe embarrassment for the local administration and raised questions regarding official credibility.