Renovation at AMC hassles public
Pulkit Vasudha
Ahmedabad, July 24: Ever since repair and renovation work began at the main office of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation at Sardar Patel Bhawan in December last, people coming here to meet officials, are having a tough time. This, because 24 offices have been shifted out of the main building and flung across the city. Whereas earlier, all the offices were available to the public in a single building, now people have to travel to Jamalpur, Kankaria, Mithakali, Kalupur and Khadia to meet the officials.
Take for example Bhupendra Shah, who took a half day’s leave from office and left his home in Virarnagar early on Friday to meet deputy municipal commissioner of finance department. Instead, he found a large black board listing the offices which had been shifted out of the main AMC office to various centres around the city.
Shah is not alone in his search for the elusive corporation offices. Despite public notification in newspapers, over 20 people flock to the control room daily asking directions for the new offices of the health, vigilance, city planning, solid waste management, welfare, and legal departments among others.
Around 15 offices were shifted between December and March, after which preliminary dismantling and repair work could begin. Since then, the civil engineering work of two of the five floors of Block B has been speeded up and is due to be over this month. The drainage project office, registrar of birth and death department, water department, industrial relation department and provident fund branch are still working amidst din of mortar mixers and concrete vibrators because they have nowhere to go.
Though renovation of this block is to be completed by December 15, there seems to be no end in sight. The tender for interior plan of the building has not even been floated yet. “The tender is likely to take at least another two months, after which we can proceed with the construction,” says Masul T, technical supervisor of engineering department.
Some dismantling work is already underway in Block A. Plaster and brick work have been taken down in places and some partitions and furnishings are being dismantled. “Piles of sand and temporary structures have become permanent fixtures for staffers. Despite this being AMC’s main office, engineering work is as slow as anywhere else,” says official of west zone department.
Incidentally, several departments had to shift together due to lack of space. The road building department, central coordinating department and new west zone departments now function out of a small basement office. “It was difficult to relocate administrative staff of six people to a small office, but now we have to share space with two other departments,” says another official of the new west zone department.
Since not even a single floor has been completely renovated, most departments will have to function from far-flung areas, resulting in inconvenience to the public.
Source: Indian Express