Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been leasing out thousands of prime commercial properties across the city for a paltry Rs 100 to Rs 500 a month. Hamstrung by a severe staff shortage, the civic body is now launching a digital overhaul and taking up a few properties for redevelopment.An extensive audit reveals the AMC holds 3,778 commercial rental properties, with nearly half (1,830) concentrated in the city’s Central Zone alone. According to a senior AMC official, many of these lucrative spots have been locked into long-term leases for “minuscule amounts”. Zonal estate departments, often operating with just one or two staff members heavily burdened with other duties, have historically shown little enthusiasm for collecting these nominal rents.“The truth is that a large number of our commercial properties have been rented for a very long time for Rs 100, Rs 200, or Rs 500,” the senior official admitted. “Due to staff shortage, there is not much eagerness in collecting even this minuscule amount of revenue”.Compounding the financial loss is the physical state of the assets. A significant chunk of these premises is in a dilapidated condition, prompting the AMC to issue notices prohibiting their use, in line with the govt’s directives.To turn the tide, the AMC has initiated a comprehensive digital module to document and track all property entries to enforce accountability. The civic body is shifting its focus to lucrative redevelopment. “Prime but underutilised real estate, such as the Municipal Market on CG Road, has been identified for total modernisation to maximise its commercial potential,” the AMC official said.
