Tag: Ahmedabad

Latest StoriesResidential

Gujarat Waives ₹200 Fee for Ownership Certificates in SVAMITVA

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has announced the waiver of the Rs 200 fee for ownership certificates under the SVAMITVA scheme, alleviating the financial strain on rural property owners, officials confirmed on Monday. Property owners in rural Gujarat can now obtain their “sanad” or ownership certificate at no cost under the SVAMITVA scheme. The SVAMITVA Yojana, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, aims to provide property cards to rural landholders nationwide. Utilizing drone technology, the ‘Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) Scheme’ surveys properties in populated rural regions, issuing property cards to…

IndustryLatest Stories

Ahmedabad’s Hi-Tech Air Monitoring Fails to Penalize Builders

AHMEDABAD: The city’s civic body is intensifying efforts to enhance complaint resolution while enforcing anti-pollution measures at construction sites, which continue to contribute to air quality issues. Advances in monitoring technologies have not fully mitigated these violations. As of 2023, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has required construction sites larger than 10,000 square meters to install air quality sensors. Currently, 100 sites are equipped with online monitoring systems that issue warnings when pollution levels exceed acceptable thresholds. Yet, no developer has faced fines based on sensor readings in the past year, indicating ongoing challenges in enforcement despite advanced technology. A…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

New Town Plans in Ahmedabad Require 5% Green Cover

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is poised to introduce significant greening initiatives aimed at enhancing the urban environment, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel set to present the draft policies on July 19. The new ‘Greening Policy Measures for a Greener Ahmedabad’ mandates that all new town planning schemes allocate 5% of the total land for green cover. Within this allocation, 1% must be specifically designated for urban forests using the Miyawaki technique, which allows for rapid and dense planting. This policy extends existing state government requirements. Previously, the state’s Town Planning Act permitted a maximum of 5% land reservation…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Auda’s Past Plans Erode Ahmedabad’s Lakes

Representative image created by AI AHMEDABAD: Numerous ponds and lakes throughout the city have experienced a notable decrease in their land area due to past Town Planning (TP) schemes created by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), even though state government policy prohibits such reductions, according to sources. Areas like Thaltej, Bopal, Memnagar, Vastrapur, and Charodi—previously under AUDA’s jurisdiction—have seen their water bodies diminish in size since being integrated into the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits. Official sources indicate that AUDA’s TP scheme drafts—initially designed for village lands that were later incorporated into the city—resulted in a reduction of land…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Gujarat Unveils New Policy for Township Projects After 16 Years

Representative image created by AI GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat is reexamining its urban housing strategy. As part of its Urban Development Year initiative, the state government is crafting a new township policy aimed at fostering organized and affordable housing throughout its cities. The previous policy from 2009 struggled to take off due to various implementation issues. The updated version aims to provide incentives such as eased floor space index (FSI), tax reductions, and improved alignment with urban development plans. Sixteen years after launching the 2009 Residential Township Policy, the government plans to entice real estate developers to create large-scale, self-sufficient townships. Senior…

IndustryLatest Stories

50% of Sabarmati riverfront plot sale proceeds to Gujarat govt

Representative image generated by AI AHMEDABAD: On October 28, 2024, the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd. (SRFDCL) approved a bid to sell development rights for a 4,420 sq m plot near Vallabhsadan, located on the western side of the riverfront, for Rs 156.13 crore. Half of the total revenue from this sale will be allocated to the state government. Sources indicate that in 2004, when the state-owned land along the banks of the Sabarmati was allocated for the riverfront development project by the revenue department, it was stipulated that 50% of total revenue from land sales should go to the…

CommercialLatest Stories

Gujarat Sees 245 New Commercial Projects in 2024-25

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat’s commercial real estate sector is experiencing a robust revival after years of fluctuation. In 2024-25, the state celebrated the launch of 245 new commercial projects — the highest number since 2019-20’s 269 projects. Additionally, 31,520 commercial units were registered, marking a peak in post-Covid registrations, according to the latest GujRERA report. The sector saw a dramatic drop of 58% in registrations during 2020-21, the peak Covid year, primarily due to the work-from-home culture and lockdowns affecting demand. Tejas Joshi, vice-president of Credai Gujarat, stated, “Office demand plummeted sharply, with businesses in sectors like entertainment, food services, gyms, and…

IndustryLatest Stories

Gujarat’s 5 districts draw ₹5.03 lakh crore in real estate investments

AI-generated Representative Image AHMEDABAD: Since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) was implemented in 2017, Gujarat’s real estate sector has attracted investments totaling ₹5.03 lakh crore. Notably, 94% of this investment is concentrated in five key districts: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot. This concentration is largely attributed to rapid urbanization, improved infrastructure, and heightened demand for residential and commercial properties. In stark contrast, the remaining 28 districts—home to nearly two-thirds (64%) of Gujarat’s population—have garnered only 6% of the total investments. Experts express concerns about this uneven distribution of resources and emphasize the need for balanced infrastructure…

Latest StoriesRera

Gujarat RERA Warns on NBFC Funding for Construction Projects

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (GujRERA) has identified significant issues in loan practices adopted by builders and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) for project financing. These issues include the mortgaging of unsold inventories from other projects and the disbursement of loans without RERA registration. To safeguard buyers’ interests, the authority plans to address these concerns with the state finance department for escalation to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). GujRERA emphasizes the necessity for a standardized operating procedure for real estate projects funded by NBFCs. Senior officials from GujRERA have noted that builders seeking funds frequently turn to NBFCs,…

Latest StoriesResidential

Gujarat CM Sets ₹200 Annual House Tax for PMAY-Gramin Beneficiaries

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced an important measure to benefit recipients of government-backed housing in rural areas of the state. The initiative introduces a uniform annual house tax of Rs 200 for beneficiaries under various government housing schemes, including the Central Government’s flagship program, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural). An annual tax rate of Rs 200 has been established for four years, starting with the current assessment cycle, applicable to houses built with government aid within all Gram Panchayats statewide, as per the official announcement. No Gram Panchayat will have the authority to impose a rate higher…