Naroda gifts land worth Rs125 crore to AMC for BRTS

Amdavadis are known for their generosity, one hears. But the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) just got first hand experience of their generosity when the owners of around 1514 commercial and residential units agreed to give away land worth Rs125 crore to the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS)!  

Call it the AMC's good negotiation skills or denizens' good spirit to part with as much as 86,700 sqm area. But owners of around 1399 commercial units and 114 residential units have agreed to hand over 10 ft to 16 ft space from roadside shops for widening of the road in 7.3km of the area from Kalupur bridge — Naroda Patiya — Naroda Bethak of the BRTS. Interestingly, majority of the shopkeepers are pulling down the construction as demanded by the AMC voluntarily.  

According to the realtors and brokers in Naroda, if sold, the 86,700 sqm area in the stretch would fetch at least Rs125 crore. The process of explaining, negotiating and convincing owners and tenants of the units was not an easy job for the AMC officials as landmark buildings like Kalupur fruit market, Arvind Mill compound, Synthetic Mill complex apart from corporators' shops, were also in the stretch. However, it is believed that some of the units are illegally constructed.  

"It is a sensitive matter to handle as so many shops and people were affected. At every stage we explained to the shopkeepers that they should help the civic body as this is for the development of the city and they would get advantage of the BRTS in their area. Interestingly, denizens agreed to co-operate and the whole procedure did not need any kind of police protection at any stage," said deputy municipal commissioner SK Langa who was involved in the negotiation.

Ranchod Ravji, who owns a tea and snacks joint has already started vacating around 8 ft area from his shop. "All the shop-keepers agreed that giving away space would be to help the city in its development. There is no regret that we had shortened the area of our shop. In fact, I decided to leave 1 foot more than what the AMC suggested as they might need extra area to develop footpath in the area," said Ranchod.  

The move however has not gone down well with the Congress corporators in the AMC. Mangad Surajkar, Congress corporator from Naroda Road ward, said that in some areas people protested as they had to remove their shops fully for the work of widening of the road for BRTS.

"Near Kalupur Bridge, in Amdupura area, people protested. They had also asked for alternate options as it is a question of their bread and butter. But nobody listens to people's demands in BJP rule," said Surajkar. He, however, said that in the TP scheme, the stretch is shown as an open road and so the AMC has the right to free the area.

The AMC, meanwhile, doesn't plan to reimburse anyone or make alternate options for them. Municipal Commissioner IP Gautam said, "We will do the needful as per the norms decided and followed in the AMC."