Gujarat politician-builder-babu nexus "eyes" Rs 38,000 crore land, plans to shift Surat small industries location

By Sagar Rabari*
The Gujarat government decision to merge, through a Development Plan (DP), 104 villages of five talukas, Olpad, Choryasi, Kamrej, Palsana and Mangrol of Surat district, into the Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) is being seen as a murky move in which the politician-builder-bureaucrat syndicate would make huge real estate gains to the tune of Rs 38,000 crore.
While the move, undertaken without consulting the affected villagers, is claimed to have been made under the pretext that in the year 2035 the population of Surat would touch 1.10 crore, the proposed expansion – and this significant – is three times the present area of Surat, which accommodates a population of 45 lakh (2011 Census).
On studying plans, maps and land use calculations, it has come to light that the DP-2035, published on May 10 this year, has proposed an industrial corridor within it. People with their innate common sense can see and feel the mal-intentioned planning: They feel that it is nothing less than a well-planned land grab.
According to villagers, small industrial units in the present city are spread over almost 800 acres of land (about 324 hectares). The politician-builder-bureaucrat syndicate eyes this 800 acres of land, which is now the prime real estate.
Under the pretext of decongestion and reducing pollution, the authorities are proposing to shift industrial units to the newly-planned 1.25-2 km wide and 37 km long industrial corridor, near Pinjarat and Tena villages.
For this, 1,500 hectares (ha) of Pinjarat village and 800 ha of Tena village is going to be taken away from the farmers with the aim of relocating small industrial units as also industrial units from the nearby Hazira industrial area.
A calculation suggests that the 800 acres of prime real estate, after moving the industrial units, would be available to builder-politician- bureaucrat syndicate for more than Rs 38,000 crore. After all, 800 acres would mean 38,27,200 sq yards, and the present market of the area is Rs 1 lakh per sq yard.
Even a novice can understand where this money would go and whose development this is.
As a by-product of this development, a realization has dawned on the villagers. A bridge on the creek near village Tena is now nearing completion. The people of the village thought that the bridge was being built for them, to cut the travel time from their village to the city.
Now with the plan of relocation of the industrial units is out in the open, they find that it is not for them. While it may help them, it is actually to motivate the industries to relocate to the new area.
There is yet another story doing the rounds among the villagers. The Adani Group has built a port in Hazira, and now needs to connect it with national highway No 8 and the Delhi-Mumbai rail line. The Gujarat government, always willing to help industries in general and Adani in particular, tried to impose Hazira Special Investment Region (SIR) on farmers of 36 villages of Olpad and Kamrej taluka.
However, The SIR had to be canceled due to stiff resistance from the agrarian community, enjoying prosperity through rich agriculture and animal husbandry.
The Adani Group then tried, though unsuccessfully, to get the public sector undertaking (PSU) Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals (GSFC) rail track on rent/lease. Having failed, it tried to purchase land from the farmers for laying the rail track. It was again unsuccessful. Hence, the final game plan, to everyone’s benefit, was introduced: the SUDA DP-2035.
---
*Secretary, Khedut Samaj - Gujarat

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog