The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has flouted a Rs 218 crore tender for the redevelopment of the historic Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. The whole project of Rs.1200 crores with Mr K Kailashnathan at it’s helm has the blessings of the PMO.
An AMC official said, “It is likely to cost Rs 48-50 crore to fill the vacant land, as the site is about three meters lower than the area around Ranip.” The new project will have three proposed bridges, which will be 24 meters wide and will be built at different places around the river. AMC’s technical bid aims to complete the proposed redevelopment in 2 years.
A pre-bid meeting for the development of the zone was held on September 14 in which four to five applicants were present, a senior AMC official said.
As per the report of The Indian Express, 25 per cent of the proposed 322 acres of land will be made available at the time of work order and the remaining land will be allotted as the project advamces. So far, 66 out of 263 families living in the Gandhi Ashram premises have been rehabilitated. The number is expected to reach 100 by the end of this week.
An official involved in the redevelopment scheme categorized the scope of work into five main areas – 1. Earth filling, 2. Road network, 3. Drinking water network, 4. Sewer network and 5. Reorganization of Chandrabhaga river.
The redevelopment design includes construction of sidewalks and pavements, bridges, water supply, 15 km water supply network, sewerage system and bridge and canal network etc. The document states that the project does not require environment clearance as it is under infrastructure development in the town planning scheme.
According to the general eligibility criteria for bidders, bidders should have “similar work experience” of infrastructure based projects completed between 2014-15 and 2020-21.
The tender awardee will have to build a 1,000-square-foot site office for AMC officials before construction can begin. The last date for submitting online tenders has been extended from September 28 to October 5. The project will be 100 per cent funded by the Central Government. Also this is depository work. The fund will be given by the Central Government to the State Government and then to AMC.
