Mehsana group, among major infra contractors for Gujarat govt, bought electoral bonds worth Rs 15 crore

The group also purchased poll bonds worth Rs 5 crore on July 11, 2023. This included Rs 2-crore bonds purchased by RBL and RTRPL each and bonds worth Rs 1 crore bought by RPPL.

The Mehsana registered firm, RBL is promoted by Parshotam Patel, his engineer brother Ranchhod Patel and their family members. Over the last 15 years, this firm has got a number of projects of the state government, municipal corporations and urban development authorities in Gujarat, as well as of the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC).

On March 7, the AMC awarded a Rs 109-crore contract to RBL to build a flyover at Panjrapol crossroads. Last October, a tender for the flyover was floated for an estimated Rs 62 crore, but no work order was awarded. On March 7, this year, the Standing Committee approved the increase in its estimated cost, now Rs 78 crore – 29 per cent higher than the earlier estimate.

“In the e-tender process, the lowest bidder is Ranjit Construction company (a sister concern of Ranjit Buildcon). After comparing their rates with the market and the rate justification submitted by design consultant Keystone Infrastructure, it was informed that the rates in the tender are based on 2021-22 prices. After the comparison the market rates are higher by 23.58 per cent than the tender rates and thus, after negotiation with the contractor, a hike of 29 per cent more than the estimated rates,” the agenda of the Standing Committee stated.

The four-lane flyover from Ambawadi to Vastrapur, with a length of 652 m and width of 17 m, is estimated to be completed in two years.

The contract for the 853-m Mumatpura overbridge in south Bopal of Ahmedabad, a slab of which crashed in December 2021, was also with RBL. Gaurav Patel, the RBL managing director, had told The Indian Express then that the firm was handling “200 bridge projects in the country” and were “experts”.

Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority had awarded the contract to RBL in 2019 for Rs 60.91 crore in “in public interest”, as there were no takers for the tenders floated twice in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the bridge on May 12, 2023.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports of Mumatpura overbridge collapse, the Gujarat Lokayukta had ordered a probe and suggested “more checks and balances” to ensure “accountability” for the poor performance of public projects undertaken by private companies.

On January 27, 2023, a 25-year old man died after falling in a trench dug at the base of the northern approach of Chiman Shukla flyover in Rajkot. The trench was dug by RBL’s sub-contractor to lay the foundation of pillars for installing height gauges for restricting entry of oversized vehicles on the flyover. The RMC had awarded the contract of installing the height gauges to RBL and RBL had in engaged a person named Kishor Jadav as a sub-contractor for the job.

Police had registered a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and arrested two RBL employees on February 23, 2023. The sub-contractor was also arrested.

The RBL has also built six of the eight bridges and one of the three railway overbridges (ROBs) in Rajkot for the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation, meanwhile, had engaged RBL in 2018 to build the 3.4-km Atal Bridge – the longest flyover in a Gujarat city – at a cost of Rs 350 crore. The company has previously built a ROB and a flyover in Vadodara.

Since 2016, the GMRC has awarded five projects to RBL, two of them in a joint venture, for the Ahmedabad and Surat Metro, including building of stations and elevated viaducts.
A businessman from Unjha said, “The promoter hails from Maktupur village in Mehsana’s Unjha taluka. In the business circles of Mehsana, they are considered to be huge, building bridges, Metro rail and other projects. They are clearly favourite of the state government as is evident from the number of projects it has been awarded. The firm has also bagged some projects in Varanasi.”

The family has diverse business interests, ranging from manufacturing to car dealership, said sources. Despite repeated attempts, RBL officials could not be reached for a comment.