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Despite spending over ₹100 crore on the construction of commercial spaces across Ahmedabad, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has failed to sell 273 units—prompting a decision to temporarily allocate them to its own departments.
These unsold properties include 206 shops, 11 godowns, and 56 office spaces.
A circular issued by Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani authorises various municipal departments to utilise these vacant properties for operational purposes.
These include shops and offices located at municipal facilities such as Aarogya Bhavan in Geeta Mandir, housing schemes in several wards, and vegetable markets in Gota, Bodakdev, and Naroda.
To obtain use of these properties, AMC departments must send a proposal through their respective Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) to the Deputy Estate Officer of the relevant zone.
The request will then be routed via the DMC (Urban Development) for final approval by the Municipal Commissioner.
According to officials, potential uses for these properties include setting up Aadhaar enrolment centres in underserved areas or providing shelter for field staff such as health and malaria workers.
AMC’s move follows years of failure to find takers for commercial units at several high-investment sites.
Notably, the ₹315 crore multilevel parking complex on Sindhu Bhavan Road has seen little uptake despite shops and offices being offered on 99-year leases via public auction.
A similar lack of interest has been observed at the multilevel parking facilities in Prahladnagar and Navrangpura. These facilities were intended to generate revenue and improve urban infrastructure but have instead added to the list of unutilised civic assets.
Part of the problem lies in usage patterns—many Amdavadis continue to prefer parking on the streets, often with little hesitation about causing traffic congestion, rather than make the effort to use multilevel parking structures.
While the temporary allotment aims to put unused properties to productive use, questions remain over the lack of formal guidelines to govern the process.
There is currently no public framework to ensure transparency or prevent misuse—such as informal occupation by individuals with personal ties to AMC employees.
When contacted for details on oversight mechanisms or allotment safeguards, the Estate Officer did not respond.
AMC collects over ₹1,700 crore in property tax from city residents each year. The continued non-sale of assets developed with taxpayer funds has raised concerns about inefficiency and poor planning.
With official use now approved, the repurposing of these 273 commercial properties offers a short-term solution, even as questions around long-term viability and transparency remain unresolved.