Gujarat govt transfers Surat civic chief M Nagarajan amid Nasirnagar demolition controversy

Gandhinagar/Surat, Aug 11 (IANS) The Gujarat government on Tuesday transferred Surat Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan, more than two months after the demolition of nearly 100 homes in the city’s Nasirnagar area triggered a probe and scrutiny from the Gujarat High Court.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department on Tuesday, Nagarajan, a 2009-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as State Project Director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in Gandhinagar.

He will replace Ranjeeth Kumar J., IAS, who has been transferred and placed at the disposal of the Energy and Petrochemicals Department for appointment as Secretary of the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC).

Nagarajan’s post in Surat will be taken over on an additional-charge basis by Surat Collector Tejas Parmar, a 2016-batch IAS officer, under Section 39 of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, 1949.

The transfer comes as the Gujarat High Court continues to examine a petition filed by residents affected by the Nasirnagar demolitions.

The court has reportedly questioned why Nagarajan and senior police officials continued in their posts while a state-ordered inquiry into the demolition was pending.

It observed that the inquiry would be “nothing but a farce” if senior officers remained in office. The demolitions took place on May 30, when nearly 100 houses in Nasirnagar were razed, leaving several families without homes.

Residents have alleged that the structures were demolished without following due process. Twenty-six affected residents subsequently approached the High Court, challenging the demolition of more than 100 houses.

The controversy has also led to action against civic officials. Five SMC officials were suspended in connection with the demolition, while the role of senior officials has remained under judicial scrutiny.

The High Court has also questioned the legal basis for charging displaced residents for rehabilitation after the demolition.

In a recent development, the SMC told the High Court that it had no intention of demolishing the remaining houses in Nasirnagar “at present”.

Following court directions, the civic body also formed a three-member monitoring team to oversee the rehabilitation of displaced residents.

The transfer of Nagarajan now comes while the inquiry and court proceedings into the circumstances surrounding the demolition remain ongoing.

–IANS

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