Tender for Hatkeshwar Bridge approved 4 months ago, but yet to take off, AMC accused of bias

Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been accused of showing favouritism towards one contractor in allotment of tender for Hatkeshwar Bridge. 

The flyover bridge at Hatkeshwar junction, constructed at a cost of ₹40 crore, has been closed to the public for the past three years. While a Rajasthan-based company expressed interest in undertaking the ₹112 crore project to reconstruct the Hatkeshwar Bridge and completed the evaluation process by August 29, 2024, reliable sources indicate that political lobbying is being carried out to ensure that the project is awarded to Ajay Infra.

After the bridge was closed to the public in 2021, a committee of experts recommended demolishing the existing superstructure and constructing a new bridge. Since 2023, the AMC has issued tenders four times to rebuild the bridge. Vishnuprasad Pungliya, a contractor from Rajasthan, initially offered to demolish the existing bridge and construct a new one for ₹118 crore. Meanwhile, Ajay Infra submitted a written request to the municipal commissioner on October 30, 2024, seeking the project for themselves.

According to official sources within the municipal corporation, in the fifth round of tendering for the Hatkeshwar Bridge project, Vishnuprasad Pungliya once again emerged as the single bidder, offering ₹112 crore for the work. This offer was finalised after a technical meeting on August 23, 2024, followed by the evaluation’s completion on August 29, 2024. Despite this, no instructions have been issued to present the tender committee’s approval, even four months later.

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