The Vejalpur-Makarba Road to development

GROUND REALTY

With Ahmedabad expanding quickly and little space left in areas already under development in the western parts, the stretch of land between Vejalpur and Makarba is fast developing as a hub for row houses, tenements and other low-rise housing complexes.

Leading the pack of real estate developers is the Bakeri group, which has initiated projects like Saket-II, a tenement scheme along the Vejalpur-Makarba Road. With other low rise schemes and tenements coming up along this road, it is fast developing as a patch where people can purchase tenements at around the cost of flats.

In fact, development in the Makarba Road area, along the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway is a direct fallout of Vejalpur developing fast as a favourite housing destination of Ahmedabad.

Real estate development activities in the Vejalpur area was initiated primarily by the Bakeri Group, one of the leading developers of the state, a few years back with its Shrinandnagar schemes.

This led to a major spurt in real estate activity in the area, which has seen the stretch between Makarba and Vejalpur bus stand grow rapidly.

Following Bakeri and realising the potential of the area, various other builders have initiated development activities in the area.

"The price of land, especially those located along streets, has almost doubled to around Rs 5,500 per square yard from around Rs 3,000 per square yard three or four years back. This is mainly because of development initiatives by Bakeri group and subsequently by various builders. In fact, there is hardly any land left for development as many schemes have been planned or land has already been earmarked for schemes," a builder said.

Bakeri group has developed major townships like Shrinandnagar, Shriramnagar and tenements like Saket amongst others.

Apart from Bakeri, various other builders also have initiated development activities which include schemes like Shantinagar and Om Shantinagar.

Besides, it is also learnt that the Ahmedabad Rural police headquarters is proposed to come up along the Vejalpur-Makarba Road. This anticipation has encouraged real estate activity even further, as people will feel safer with the police headquarters located close-by.

Apart from the Shrinandnagar Township, Bakeri is also developing Saket Tenements which costs between Rs 6.50 lakh to Rs 8.50 lakh.

Bakeri has already begun handing over possession for the Saket II scheme.

The expenditure towards power supply system including raising mains, Ahmedabad Electric Company cable cost, sub-station cost, is around Rs 30,000, which also includes Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority charges, fees, amenities fees, water and drainage charges, tree plantation and others charges.

Yearly maintenance charges of drainage and water supply is also payable to AUDA.

The cost of a two-bed room flat in the area costs between Rs 3.50 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh depending upon the location and area of the flat. Two-bed room flats are around 100 square yards to 125 square yards. One such scheme, Shrinandnagar-V Apartments, is expected to be completed by October this year.

Flats in buildings being constructed along this patch, very close to the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway, are priced between Rs 3.50 lakh and Rs six lakh.

However, customers are also required to pay around Rs 30,000 extra for getting road-facing and corner apartments.

Builders in the area have tied up with various nationalised and private banks and financial institutions for arranging housing loans for their customers.

"Cost of flats in the Vejalpur area is much lower compared with other developed areas of the city," said the developer of Om Shanti Nagar, where a two-bed room flat costs between Rs 2.50 lakh and Rs 4 lakh.