- A fish market in Surat was named after PM Narendra Modi without official approval
- The signboard sparked controversy over who authorised its installation at the market
- Local fish merchants objected due to the PM's vegetarianism and community concerns
A controversy has erupted over a newly-built fish market in the Nanpura-Lakkadkot area of Surat being named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the local civic body maintaining that the official naming process of the complex was yet to be completed.
The dispute was triggered by the installation of a large signboard reading 'Shri Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market' at the main entrance, which features a photo of the Prime Minister placed in a corner of the hoarding. It was built at a cost of Rs 3.90 crore.
The presence of the board has raised immediate questions regarding who authorised the installation, as official budget documents from the Surat Municipal Corporation list the project simply as a local fish market without any reference to the Prime Minister.
The naming choice has drawn strong objections from local fish merchant Surendra Laskari, who questioned the appropriateness of using the Prime Minister's name for a wholesale seafood facility.
Speaking on behalf of the local Kahar-Machi community, Laskari pointed out that Prime Minister Modi is known to be a vegetarian, making the association with a fish market unsuitable.
He further alleged that the board was installed unilaterally by Kalpesh Navsariwala, president of the Surat Fish Merchant Association, and urged authorities to name the municipal property after the traditional fishing community instead to avoid dragging the Prime Minister's name into unnecessary debate.
Association President Kalpesh Navsariwala defended the installation, stating that the name serves as a mark of respect for the Prime Minister's policy initiatives supporting the seafood and fishing sector. He highlighted the creation of a dedicated fisheries ministry and central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana as reasons for the gesture.
Navsariwala maintained that merchants who paid advance deposits to operate from the facility support the naming and declared that they would oppose any attempt to remove the signboard.
The central issue remains whether the board was erected legally, as municipal authorities confirmed that no official resolution or formal sanction was passed by the Surat Municipal Corporation to assign the Prime Minister's name to the venue. Executive Engineer Rajesh Ganjawala from the Central Zone stated that a civic team visited the location to take down the unsanctioned board, but stepped back after local traders assured them that they would remove it themselves.
Beyond the political and administrative dispute over the signboard, the newly built complex is also generating complaints regarding civic infrastructure and basic facilities. Local traders have raised concerns about poor drainage design, pointing out that small drain pipes were installed instead of larger ones, leading to waterlogging during rains near nearby residential areas and temples. As public scrutiny mounts over both the governance breach and physical maintenance of the facility, all eyes are on the municipal corporation's next official step regarding the unsanctioned signboard.
