Civic body faces legal dilemma over impact fees for shops on Saijpur lake land
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
(AMC) grapples with the legality of constructions built on waterbodies.
The dispute involves around more than 40 shops that were built and sold by the Saijpur Bogha municipality around 1980 on what was designated as lake land. The area later came under the jurisdiction of the AMC.
These shopkeepers have now applied to the AMC for impact fees to regularize illegal extensions on the existing structures, creating a complex legal situation.
According to AMC sources, while the area is marked as a lake on the Town Planning (TP) scheme map, revenue records show it as govt wasteland.
The lake, which falls under Final Plot No. 24 of TP Scheme No. 35/2, spans 49,355 sq m and has since been developed as a recreational space.
"According to the state govt laws, impact fees cannot be collected for constructions on lakes or govt land," said a senior AMC official who requested anonymity. Despite the shopkeepers having purchased the land from the municipality, it remains govt property, and AMC cannot collect impact fees without the collector's opinion.
The situation highlights a broader issue facing the AMC.
In 2022, the corporation identified 142 waterbodies in Ahmedabad, but possession requests for 33 of these were denied by the collector's office, with 26 locations reportedly having no lakes.
While the AMC has developed Saijpur Lake into a public space, the status of the shops and their illegal extensions remains in limbo. The validity of the original lease and sale agreements made by the former municipality is also under scrutiny.
The matter remains under discussion as authorities work to resolve the complex legal and administrative challenges surrounding these old property transactions on protected land. The resolution could set a precedent for similar disputes.
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