Narmada:
The Narmada district administration has launched a massive demolition drive against luxury structures built illegally by senior government officials in Gujarat’s Garudeshwar.
The mega demolition drive, which has been underway for the last four to five days, was executed under tight police security on prime plots located just a few kilometres from the iconic Statue of Unity.
Officials said the action demonstrates a firm, zero-tolerance stance against institutional corruption within high-stakes tourism zone surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s global dream project.
BJP MLA Darshna Deshmukh Vasava said in 2022, she came to know about such incident through news reports and that she had questioned about the matter in the house. The MLA added she was informed that 13 plots were given to officials at very low rates.
“The Bhupendra Patel government is fair and gives justice to all and therefore today we are seeing this action of demolition. Several notices were given through panchayat as well to the plot owners. This action by the government will set an example for all. It is surprising why the officials wanted a plot at this location only. One plot is of town planning officer as well,” she said.
The controversy dates back to 2019 when a total of 13 plots were originally allotted under the tenure of the then District Collector R. S. Ninama. These highly valuable plots were given on heavily discounted rates to class 1 and class 2 officers, some of whom have since retired while others currently serve in senior positions such as additional collector.
However, discrepancies were detected almost immediately, prompting the government to reclaim six of the plots within that very same year. Out of the remaining seven plots where development continued, five have been targeted in the current demolition drive. According to sources lavish resort and commercial hotels with over 15 bedrooms were being made.
Subsequent Right to Information queries and formal complaints exposed a massive violation of the allotment terms, revealing that these senior officers completely bypassed town planning rules.
Instead of constructing modest family homes within the mandatory two-year window, the elite bureaucrats took advantage of their positions to construct multi-storeyed, commercial luxury bungalows designed specifically to cash in on the thriving local tourism market at the Statue of Unity, Kevadia.
Official investigations into the properties revealed unmistakable hallmarks of commercial homestay operations rather than legitimate government-employee residences, showing multiple bedrooms and detached layouts optimized for commercial hiring.
Following a detailed inquiry by the district administration, the collector stepped in directly to issue strict orders reclaiming the highly valuable government land and razed unauthorised commercial footprints.
However, two out of the seven remaining officers managed to temporarily halt the action after stay orders from the court.
