Gujarat High Court orders Surat Corporation to honor resident rehabilitation agreement

The Gujarat High Court has stated it will not allow the Surat Municipal Corporation to withdraw from a previous agreement to provide accommodation to residents whose homes were destroyed during a demolition drive in the Nasir Nagar area in June.

During a hearing, Justice Nikhil S Kariel noted that the Corporation had previously agreed through the Advocate General to accommodate the affected residents. The court rejected attempts by the Corporation to shift the responsibility of rehabilitation to existing schemes, asserting that the municipality has sufficient funds to fulfill its obligation. The residents had challenged the demolition, describing it as illegal and noting that previously offered alternatives were in dilapidated condition.