Ahmedabad: Opposition members on Tuesday rocked Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) general board meeting over the Subhash Bridge project, alleging that the Rs 241 crore contract was awarded to a previously blacklisted firm by bypassing competition and paving the way for massive cost overruns.Raising the issue in the board, Congress councillor Shehzad Khan Pathan alleged that the civic body deliberately ignored a competing bid to favour the contractor.He claimed the project cost is now set to cross Rs 300 crore following a post-approval decision to fully demolish the old structure instead of merely renovating it.“Rules were bypassed solely to benefit a single controversial contractor who was blacklisted in the past. Even though another firm submitted a bid, the tender was sanctioned without even opening the rival price bid,” Pathan alleged, demanding a written guarantee that AMC would not release a single rupee beyond the approved cost.Pathan further charged that the civic body used a predetermined modus operandi: first awarding the work through an uncompetitive process and later granting cost escalations under the pretext of changing the project scope from renovation to full reconstruction.The allegations come as AMC carries out the phased demolition of the dilapidated Subhash Bridge to make way for a new eight-lane portal frame structure.In a recent standing committee meeting, approval was granted for a Rs 241-crore expenditure alongside provisions for price escalations on steel, cement, and labour, with a 24-month deadline set for completion.The 453.8m long and 12.9m wide Subhash Bridge was built by AMC in 1973. It was urgently closed to traffic on Dec 4, 2025, after cracks were reported. The bridge’s foundation and the superstructure were inspected by experts.
