'Not Done By Us': Civic Body Distances Itself From Surat Demolition

Days after hundreds of homes were razed in Surat's Nasirnagar, a central question continues to hang in the air: who authorised the demolition? The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has categorically denied any role in ordering the action, even as residents report that police and Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel were present at the site alongside civic officials.

In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Surat Civic Body Deputy Commissioner Ashish J Nayak pushed back firmly against the widely held belief that the Corporation carried out the demolition.

"The Corporation's team had gone there for demarcation purposes, and machinery was already operating at the site. People were moving their belongings out to relocate them elsewhere. The Corporation had no involvement in the demolition; our staff was present solely to mark the 40-foot boundary line established in 1980," he said.

Nayak added that by the time his staff arrived, private agency machinery was already at work and the demolition had begun. His team could not even complete the demarcation exercise they had been sent to carry out.

On the issue of the police and SOG presence at the site, Nayak said that the Corporation had neither requested their deployment nor written any formal communication seeking their involvement.

"The Corporation did not summon the SOG in any capacity. We neither requested the SOG's presence nor issued any formal letter regarding it," he said, adding that local police are only informed of such operations as a routine measure to maintain law and order.

Nayak highlighted the standard process that is ordinarily followed before any demolition is carried out. He said that residents are typically given advance notice and adequate time to respond.

"Usually, a period of at least 15, 20, or 24 days is allowed, and the public is informed before the demolition process is initiated. That is the standard procedure," he said.

Whether that procedure was followed in Nasirnagar remains one of the key questions the state government's investigation will need to answer.

When asked about support for the families whose homes were brought down, Nayak said the Corporation has taken cognisance of their situation.

"Humanity must be shown; the Corporation is sensitive in this regard, and the authorities will decide on the best possible course of action," he said.

He confirmed that the matter has now been escalated to the state government level, and an investigation is underway to establish why the action was taken, how it was carried out, and on whose instructions.

He reiterated, "No, it was not done [by us]; that is very clear."

Katargam MLA Vinu Moradiya said that the Municipal Commissioner informed him that Corporation officials had only gone to the site to measure the land and road, and that the equipment used in the demolition did not belong to the civic body. If the civic body is not responsible, Moradiya asked, then on whose instructions the action was taken.

With the Surat Civic Body stepping back from any responsibility, and reports of police and SOG presence at the site still unaddressed, the matter is growing murkier. The affected families, meanwhile, continue to wait for relief, rehabilitation and a clear account of what happened.