Builder of ₹40-cr Hatkeshwar Bridge to pay for demolition, confirms AMC chief

The Hatkeshwar Bridge in Ahmedabad which will be demolished over severe structural issues and safety concerns is back in the news. Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani has said that the cost of demolition of Hatkeshwar Bridge will be recovered from Ajay Engineering Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, the contractor who built it.

Built at a cost of ₹40 crore, the bridge had multiple safety concerns and structural flaws after which it was closed in 2022 with the opposition alleging corruption in the contract. Thereafter, the Hatkeshwar Bridge was approved for demolition. The bridge will now be demolished at a cost of ₹3.90 crore by a Mumbai-based company named Shri Ganesh Corporation. And the entire cost of the demolition will be recovered from Ajay Engineering Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, the civic chief said. 

Responding to queries raised by Congress Councillor Jagdish Rathod at the board meeting on Friday, the municipal commissioner stated that the bridge will be dismantled in six different stages. Technical advice is also being sought from IIT Gandhinagar for the demolition work to ensure that nearby residents and commuters are not inconvenienced. 

When asked whether a new bridge would be constructed at this site after demolition, BJP councillors became agitated and said, “Sit down now, that’s enough.” 

At this point, opposition leader Shahezadkhan Pathan expressed dissent, telling the mayor, “Ask your councillors to keep quiet. A corruption of ₹40 crore was committed in the construction of the Hatkeshwar Bridge, yet your councillors are not taking the matter seriously.”