Gandhi projects stuck in blame game

Way back in 2005,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,then heading the UPA-I government,announced that the Ahmedabad-Dandi route (which Gandhiji took during his Salt Satyagraha) would be developed as a “heritage route” at a cost of Rs 2,100 crore. The historic 386-km route from Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari district was declared as NH-228 in 2006. However,proposals worth almost Rs 2,000 crore for works in phase-II of Dandi heritage route still remain pending.

A top state government official involved in the project says,“The first phase of Rs 150-crore project was over in 2009-10,but after that there was hardly any progress. Since the Government of India declared it as national highway,we now have a very limited role to play. We have submitted the proposal for phase-II,but have not received clearance as yet. The state government cannot fund the project as it is a national highway.”

The project under the state government’s purview seems to be equally unattended. The historic Dandi bridge adjoining the Mahatma’s Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad was in such a state of neglect that the Gujarat High Court had to intervene,issuing strictures to the state government for its protection and upkeep last month.

The state government had submitted a “revitalization plan for Gandhi Ashram area” in July 2009 and demanded around Rs 287 crore from the Centre for the same. The latter did not agree after which the state government excused itself blaming the central government. The proposal is still pending before the Union ministry of tourism.

“Revitalization plan for Gandhi ashram area” was prepared by the Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology (CEPT) University and famous architect B V Doshi’s Vastu Shilpa Foundation. Under the plan,the area surrounding Sabarmati Ashram was to be turned into a silence zone.

The plan was also meant to address various issues like disuse of heritage structure,lack of consolidated public space around the historic building,decreasing visitor’s inflow at Gandhi Ashram,lack of basic infrastructure for tourists and visitors,unutilised and under-utilised land,obsolescence due to proximity to slums,among others.

A senior official of the state’s tourism department said the proposal for funds was still pending before the central government and that the state government had no plans to fund it.