The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has started the demolition work in a part of the buildings around Gandhi Ashram as part Rs,1200 crore redevelopment project of Gandhi Ashram.
An ambitious project of redevelopping the world-famous Gandhi Ashram is underway. With a total budget of around Rs. 1200 Crores, the project under the supervision of super bureaucrat K Kailashnathan is expected to acquire all the land and buildings around Gandhi Ashram for the beautification.
In the exercise, the work commenced today by starting the demolition work for about 15 residences in the Thakor Vas. There are about 260 residences which are estimated to be demolished. The government has already paid one time settlement amount of Rs.60 lacs each with 10 inhabitants of these dwellings. Most of the dwellers are the descendants of the original inmates of Gandhi Ashram when Gandhiji himself spent a decade of his life living at this place.
Over 60 dwellers have already handed over possession to the authorities. While some of the units are planned to be kept intact, many will be demolished, It will take 2-3 days to demolish the present batch of 10-15 houses and make a open plot out of it. The houses about to be demolished were the tenants of various trusts that shared the Ashram properties. Once the buildings are razed, separate negotiations with the trusts to acquire the land will be taken up.
The Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project has two committees to oversee and execute the work. The Governing council is headed by the Chief Minister and the executive council is headed by the Chief principal secretary to the Chief Minister K Kaillashnathan. Collector of Ahmedabad is member secretary of both the councils.
