Gandhinagar: Gujarat govt on Wednesday announced a rehabilitation package for businesses, commercial establishments and service units affected by the recent floods in Surat district and Surat Municipal Corporation areas. As part of the relief measures, govt will also waive property tax for one year in flood-affected residential and commercial areas of Surat city.Heavy rain had caused widespread waterlogging, disrupting economic activity and inflicting significant losses on traders, shop owners and service providers.Announcing the package, deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi said small traders in the affected areas would receive lump-sum financial assistance to help them restart their businesses. Shop owners who had filed GST returns for the previous quarter will also be eligible for a one-time cash assistance of Rs 1 lakh.He added that banks and financial institutions would extend loan support to larger shops, traders and permanent commercial establishments that had filed GST returns for the previous quarter to help restore damaged units.Sanghavi said eligible beneficiaries seeking lump-sum assistance must submit applications, along with supporting evidence such as photographs and videography of the damage, to the Surat municipal commissioner, mamlatdar or municipal chief officer by Sep 30. Compensation will be released after a damage assessment.Businesses seeking interest subsidy on loans must apply to the District Industries Centre within six months of the package notification, along with proof of obtaining bank finance. Govt clarified that units that have already availed assistance under the APMC relief scheme will not be eligible for the new package.The deputy CM said govt had already disbursed Rs 13.15 crore in immediate relief. As of July 14, household assistance of Rs 9.62 crore was provided to 19,256 families, while Rs 3.5 crore was distributed as cash dole to 39,237 individuals.
