The highly ambitious urban development project of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Sabarmati Riverfront is getting dearer with every passing day. The project cost has increased by 53% in seven years.
The highly ambitious urban development project of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Sabarmati Riverfront is getting dearer with every passing day. The project cost has increased by 53% in seven years.
The Congress alleged that the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Ltd (SRFDCL) has been treated as a private company and development work is carried out at the cost of the poor.
The opposition walked out of the SRFDCL board meeting in protest on Monday on this score.
The Congress alleged that in 2003 chief minister Narendra Modi had announced that the project would be completed in 1000 days. The work is still incomplete and the delay has increased the cost.
The original project cost, estimated in 2003 at Rs750 crore, is now pegged Rs1152 crore, said Badruddin Shaikh, leader of opposition in the AMC. He also claimed that earth filling work that was pegged at Rs25 crore in 2003 has reached Rs45 crore now.
The SRFDCL has obtained Rs350 crore as loan from HUDCO, Rs240 crore from AMC as share capital and Rs180 crore from AMC as loan.
The company has spent Rs760 crore on the development work till now, said Shaikh. He also said that HUDCO had sanctioned Rs550 crore loan but the SRFDCL could get only Rs350 crore disbursement.
aThe Congress alleged that the administration and the ruling party were not worried about the delay till now. In seven years, work of the diaphragm wall has been completed, while work for construction of retaining wall and earth filling is going on. “Only 85% of retaining wall is complete,” said Shaikh.
The opposition alleged that the administration has awoken all of a sudden and wants to expedite the project at the cost of the poor. He also said that alternate arrangement given by the AMC is faulty.
“The civic body has allotted houses to handicapped people on the third floor. Moreover, it has failed to provide enough water to the EWS houses built in Vatva,” said Shaikh.
The Congress apprehends that project cost will increase much more in coming days and has demanded that a white paper must be issued. Shaikh also alleged that the contractor has used inferior quality GRP pipes for drainage network on the riverfront and demanded that an inquiry committee should be formed to look into the matter.
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