"It is said that Gujarat has a large heart. I have spoken to the builder, and he too is ready to help the workers and their families,” said Amrutiya. (Credit: @Kanti_amrutiya)
Gujarat Minister of State for Labour and Employment Kanti Amrutiya has nearly given a clean chit to the builder in the incident of the slab collapse of an under-construction commercial building on Tuesday (September 9) night in Kudasan area of Gandhinagar that injured nearly a dozen workers.
Fifteen workers were rescued, and 12 of them were hospitalised after a large metal slab collapsed at the under-construction site in Gandhinagar, officials said.
Speaking to the media during his visit to GMERS hospital in Gandhinagar to meet the injured on Thursday, Amrutiya said, “We all understand that when a slab is being filled, it is supported by struts. Even if one gets moved, the others too, move out (of level). If a person moves one of them, the others also collapse. The disaster has not been caused by a machine but because of the system… It is not like the machine caused this, or it is the builder’s fault.”
Three workers with minor injuries had been discharged by the time the minister visited the hospital.
“These workers fall under my department and, apart from treatment, we have taken the responsibility of making sure they are able to run their households. The condition of four patients are serious and two of them have major injuries. It is said that Gujarat has a large heart. I have spoken to the builder, and he too is ready to help the workers and their families,” said Amrutiya.
The builder of this particular project, named Boski – The Empire, is Nilesh Modi and his partners.
Among those who visited the site after the accident include Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Director General of Police G S Malik, Gandhinagar South MLA Alpesh Thakor and Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police Anupam Singh Gahlaut.
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Asked about possible legal action, Minister Amrutiya said, “Legal action takes place when it is the builder’s fault. But primarily, I don’t think it is so, 100%. They (builders) do have responsibility for those working there and I will call them and I will make them solve the problems, if any.”
He said the Road & Building department would investigate “but it’s not like the slab collapsed after it was built or poor quality materials were used… Like you all, I am also aware of these matters and we will make sure the workers do not suffer in any manner.”
The Indian Express attempted to reach out to the minister, but he remained unavailable for comment.
Who is Kanti Amrutiya
Kantilal Shivlal Amrutiya is a six-time Member of Legislative Assembly from Morbi constituency who won on a BJP ticket in the December 2022 assembly elections just over a month after his heroic act of jumping into the Machchhu river to save people who had fallen following the collapse of a British-era bridge on October 30, which led to the loss of 135 lives.
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He won from the seat in an unbroken streak in the 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2012 elections. However, he lost to Brijesh Merja of the Congress in 2017. Merja’s resignation from the seat and party led to byelections and Merja retained the seat, this time on a BJP ticket.
While Merja was initially considered as the frontrunner to get the BJP ticket from Morbi in 2022, Amrutiya was nominated. He won the 2022 election with a massive margin and, in October 2025, made MoS when Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expanded his cabinet.
In July, hundreds of farmers sat in protest in Jetpar village of Morbi against the Halvad Transmission Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle of Adani group that was installing high tension towers for transmission lines. Among the fasting protesters was 57-year-old Rakeshbhai Shivlal Amrutiya, minister Amrutiya’s brother.
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
Expertise
Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat.
Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border.
Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More
