Surat municipal commissioner transferred after HC raps civic body over demolition drive

The outgoing Surat Municipal Commissioner, M Nagarajan, came under the scanner over a large-scale demolition drive carried out at Nasirnagar in the city on May 30.

The Gujarat HC on Monday observed that an inquiry into the demolition will prove to be “nothing but a farce” if senior municipal and police officers remain in their posts throughout the probe.

It noted that the demolition carried out in the locality on May 30 was prima facie illegal.

To ensure justice is done, the state government must not permit senior officers, including the Surat municipal commissioner and the deputy commissioner of police, to remain on duty while a committee investigates the demolition drive, the HC said.

The Gujarat General Administration Department, in a notification issued late Tuesday night, transferred Nagarajan to the post of state project director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan at Gandhinagar, replacing Rajneeth Kumar.