Tag: Surat

Latest StoriesResidential

Surat: No Property Tax for Pragya Nagar Residents

SURAT: Residents of Pragya Nagar in the City Light area have been advised by Surat Municipal Corporation officials that they will not have to pay property tax for the demolished colony. This follows the issuance of tax bills for 2025-26, despite the colony being razed in 2025. The Times of India (TOI) had highlighted this issue, prompting action from the municipal body. The situation surfaced when residents of approximately 700 homes expressed concerns about receiving tax bills despite having evacuation notices in 2024 and demolition occurring in 2025. On Thursday, residents found that the online portal indicated no pending dues.…

Latest StoriesResidential

Civic Body Sends Tax Bills for Demolished EWS Homes

SURAT: Residents of the 700 homes demolished in Pragya Nagar at City Light find themselves in a perplexing situation. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is demanding property tax for properties it had demolished a year ago. Residents received eviction notices for redevelopment two years back, which led to their gradual relocation. Although the evacuation took place, SMC continued collecting property tax for two years, even for land where no structures remained. Pragya Nagar, a colony designed for economically weaker sections (EWS), contained 44 buildings with 16 flats each, accommodating approximately 3,000 residents. Many have since moved to rented homes without…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Surat Diamond and Real Estate Group Undergoes I-T Search

SURAT: The income tax department executed a significant search operation at various premises linked to a city-based diamond manufacturer and real estate developer. This group also manages educational institutions across the state and is currently under investigation for undisclosed earnings from their real estate activities. Searches were conducted at over 15 locations in Surat, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. Mumbai emerged as a critical area of investigation, especially concerning the younger owners and partners who have residences and offices there. Several individuals associated with the group are also being scrutinized, including a liaison worker with notable connections to high-ranking politicians…

Latest StoriesResidential

Compound wall collapse forces evacuation of 192 Surat apartments

Representative AI image SURAT: On Wednesday, residents from 192 apartments in four towers of Shiv Residency were evacuated due to the collapse of a compound wall and part of the adjacent land into a deep foundation pit at Bhimrad. The incident occurred late Tuesday night when a cement concrete retaining wall of a construction site managed by the Raj Lakshmi Group failed. This caused the boundary wall of Shiv Residency to collapse, raising safety concerns for nearby buildings. After a preliminary investigation, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) suspended the licenses of architect Suresh Maurya, structural engineer Jalil Shaikh, developer Tushar…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Surat accelerates land acquisition for transport hub project

SURAT: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is expediting the acquisition of private land necessary for the Multi-Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) project located near the GSRTC building and the Khand Bazaar railway underbridge. Phase 1 of the project is advancing rapidly, with the GSRTC Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) nearing completion—42% of the work on the east side of Surat railway station has been finished. The elevated road corridor under Phase 2 is approximately 25% complete. To assess progress, municipal commissioner Shalini Agarwal conducted a site inspection, urging officials to hasten the acquisition of private land for the elevated road. She also…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Dumas Seaface Developer Penalized for Dust Pollution Issues

SURAT: The agency responsible for the Dumas Seaface project has been fined Rs 5 lakh after inspections revealed insufficient measures to control dust pollution at the site. Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal visited the site to assess the progress and observed that dust suppression systems and waste management protocols were not adhered to. This penalty is part of the Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) intensified measures against construction sites non-compliant with pollution control regulations. Since Thursday, SMC teams have scrutinized 266 construction projects throughout the city, fining 184 of them and totalling Rs 56 lakh in penalties. On the first day of…

Housing FinanceLatest Stories

Home Loans Rise 14%, Buyer Growth Only 7% in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: While Gujarat’s housing finance numbers are on the rise, homebuyer sentiment remains stagnant. According to SLBC data for the September 2025 quarter, housing loan disbursements have increased by 14% year-on-year, climbing from ₹14,266 crore to ₹16,264 crore. However, the number of borrowers has only grown by 7%, from 95,532 to 1.02 lakh. This disparity highlights a healthy flow of credit but a lack of purchasing momentum, particularly among mass-market buyers. Banking sources indicate that most lending occurs in major cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot. “Despite substantial lending activity, there is a notable decline in demand for…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Surat: SUDA, JICA Assess Town Planning Initiatives

Representative AI Image SURAT: Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) officials, along with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), convened on Friday to discuss the upcoming model town planning (TP) schemes for the bullet train station development area. Over the past year, five TP schemes—61, 62-A, 62-B, 62-C, and 63—have been crafted with guidance from state and central governments and technical insights from JICA. Among these, schemes 61 and 63 have received initial approval from the state government, while scheme 61 (Kosmada-Oviyan-Chedcha) has been proposed as a Preliminary Town Planning Scheme. The other three schemes incorporate innovative urban planning ideas, such…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Navsari Civic Body Issues Notices to 40 Illegal Sites

Representative image created by AI SURAT: The Navsari Municipal Corporation (NMC) has initiated a crackdown on illegal constructions, issuing notices to 40 sites—both commercial and residential—that lacked valid permits. In the last week, the NMC’s town planning department evaluated around 200 under-construction sites, identifying 40 that failed to obtain necessary approvals. These sites are required to submit valid construction documents within five days, with officials cautioning that structures without permissions could face demolition. This marks the first significant enforcement action since Navsari became a municipal corporation. The city is now divided into 13 wards, with elections anticipated soon. Ward-10 reported…

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…