The Hatkeshwar bridge in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, which was built just seven years ago at a cost of Rs 42 crore, will be demolished and rebuilt. This time its cost will be Rs 52 crore. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued the fourth tender for the reconstruction of the bridge.
The Hatkeshwar bridge in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, built just seven years ago at a cost of Rs 42 crore, will be demolished and rebuilt. This time its cost will be Rs 52 crore. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued the fourth tender for the reconstruction of the bridge. This amount for the reconstruction of the bridge will be recovered from the same company that built it in 2017. The bridge has been closed for the last two years due to security concerns in view of the dilapidated condition of the bridge.
As per a report by India Today, Devang Dani, chairman of the AMC’s standing committee, said in an interview, “The Hatkeshwar bridge was closed due to damage. The AMC had floated three tenders to demolish and rebuild it, but no company responded. In the fourth attempt, a Rajasthan-based company agreed to take up the project. The AMC aims to complete the process within 15 days and complete the new bridge in the next 18 months.”
Leader of Opposition in the AMC Shahzad Khan Pathan called the Hatkeshwar Buldhana a prime example of engineering failure and corruption. He said the bridge, built by Ajay Infra, was inaugurated in November 2017 but was temporarily closed in March 2021 due to a pothole.
Pathan said, “The bridge was completely closed after it was found unsafe in the stability report made in August 2022. The total cost of the bridge including reconstruction will be Rs 94 crore in just five years and this amount should be recovered from Ajay Infra Company.”
Pathan said, “The bridge was completely closed after it was found unsafe in the stability report made in August 2022. The total cost of the bridge including reconstruction will be Rs 94 crore in just five years and this amount should be recovered from Ajay Infra Company only.”
Meanwhile, Devang Dani said that the assessment of the reconstruction cost of the bridge is underway, while Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi confirmed that its demolition and reconstruction will cost Rs 52 crore, which will be recovered from the original contractor.
In response, Pathan asked why the reconstruction of this bridge would cost only Rs 52 crore when the construction of other new bridges in Ahmedabad is costing more than Rs 100 crore. He also asked why a similar cost-saving method cannot be adopted for all new bridges.
Ahmedabad Congress city president Himmat Singh Patel also raised concerns and questioned why no inquiry was conducted against the contractor and officials involved in the Hatkeshwar bridge case. He accused the BJP of avoiding action and selectively using agencies like ED and CBI.
