Surat municipality, state govt spar over grant for Tapi embankment

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the state government are at loggerheads over the Tapi embankment scheme, with the latter refusing to pay the 50 per cent grant to the former, which it had assured earlier.

Due to floods in 1994 and 1998, largescale devastation of property had taken place in Surat. Flood waters had entered the city mainly because the protective embankment constructed on the banks of river Tapi had been damaged.

To prevent entry of flood waters in the city in future, SMC decided to construct new protective embankments on the river, for which it would have to spend about Rs 24 crore.

During a public function in 1999, the then chief minister Keshubhai Patel announced that the state government would give 50 per cent grant to SMC for the scheme.

In view of this assurance, SMC started work on the embankment project and spent over Rs 5.05 crore. The corporation wrote to the state water resources department, asking it to release the grant money of Rs 2.52 crore.

In its reply, via a letter dated June 19, 2004, the water resources department, has refused the SMC demand. The letter states: "The illegal encroachments in the bed of Tapi river as well as the unplanned urbanisation are responsible for entry of flood waters into Surat city. Hence it becomes the responsibility of Surat Municipal Corporation to take measures to prevent flood water from entering the city."

"The water resources department will only be providing technical help during floods," the letter states further.

Needless to mention, the letter has not gone down too well with the BJP-ruled SMC.

City mayor Snehlata Chauhan has reacted sharply to the letter.

In an aggressively-worded letter to water resources minister Narottam Patel, who also happens to be the MLA from Choryasi seat in Surat, Chauhan states, "The responsibility of removing encroachments from river beds and to see that no encroachments take place, lies with the water resources department. The department is responsible for taking measures to prevent flood water from entering the city and it is not right to put the responsibility for the same on SMC."

The letter also states, "We have spent over Rs 5 crore on the embankment project. The then chief minister Keshubhai Patel had orally assured 50 per cent grant, but we are yet to receive any money from the government. We believed the CM's words and spent the money."

"If the grant money is not paid to SMC, no one would believe the words of the chief minister in the future and would ask for a written assurance. The chief minister had given the said assurance in public. The honour and pride of the CM's post are at stake and hence it is important to keep the word," the letter added.