Surat: A delegation of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) has submitted a representation to urban development minister Kanu Desai, seeking the regularisation of industrial properties operating on possession receipts across south Gujarat and the state. The chamber proposed a One-Time Regularisation Policy to legalise such lands and properties, subject to prescribed rules, fees and conditions.Highlighting concerns specific to the Surat industrial region, SGCCI said several industries have been functioning for decades on lands and properties held on the basis of possession receipts. Industrialists have made substantial investments in factories, workshops, warehouses and other infrastructure on these properties, but continue to face legal and practical challenges due to the absence of formal ownership documents.SGCCI office-bearers CA Mitish Modi, Nitin Bharucha and Paulik Desai met the minister and discussed the issue in detail.The chamber pointed out that the lack of regularisation has made it difficult for industrial units to access bank loans, working capital and financial assistance for expansion. In addition, incomplete documentation has created hurdles in property transfer, inheritance, redevelopment and in availing benefits under various government schemes.SGCCI further noted that in industrial hubs like Surat, sectors such as textiles, diamonds, engineering, chemicals and food processing account for a large number of such units, which play a crucial role in the state’s economy, employment generation and exports. Regularising possession receipt-based industrial properties, the chamber said, would provide legal certainty to entrepreneurs, encourage fresh investment and accelerate industrial growth in Gujarat.
