Ahmedabad Bhadra fort restoration project faces troubles

One month after the foundation stone for Bhadra fort's restoration was to be laid, the ambitious transformation project of the archaeological monument and nearby areas is facing teething troubles, all because of red tape.

The AMC had planned to lay the foundation stone for the restoration work in the first week of July. However, an AMC official said the delay in progress of work was because it involved getting approval from several agencies.

"Since the work is being jointly conducted by the AMC and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), we need to take permission from various authorities. We are still waiting for the green signal from Monument Authority, a committee under the government of India which grants permission to carry out restoration work of heritage monuments. However, as the central government is yet to form such a committee, we cannot carry out any work," the official said.

The ambitious project to restore Bhadra Fort and its nearby areas will reportedly give a completely new look to the area. The AMC and ASI had teamed up to carry out restoration work on the 600-year-old fort in three phases at a cost of Rs38.45 crore.

Of this, ASI was to spend Rs25 crore in the first phase. "The committee will soon be formed and the work is expected to begin by August-end,” said the official.