Ahmedabad's LG Hospital renovation remains incomplete more than a year after its original deadline, with the AMC's Road and Building Committee deferring a fresh extension until December 2026 pending an inquiry into responsibility for the delay.
The contractor has sought a further nine-month extension, up to 31 December 2026, after missing the revised deadline of 31 March 2026. The original completion deadline was August 2025.
Road and Building Committee Chairman Dr Jainik Vakil said the committee would not approve the extension until officials establish how much of the delay was caused by the contractor, design consultants and AMC officials.
Who is responsible for the delay
The committee has sought a detailed report explaining the reasons for the delay and the action taken, if any, against those responsible. Officials have also been asked to clarify the individual responsibilities of all parties involved in the project.
The demand for a report puts the spotlight on all three sides at once. The contractor, the design consultants and the Corporation's own officials must each account for their share of a delay that has now run past two deadlines.
Until that report arrives, the extension stays on hold. The committee has made it clear that time will not be granted first and questions asked later.
Painting work raises questions
The committee has also questioned a separate request for a 60-day extension to complete painting work at the hospital. Members pointed out that painting is an integral part of renovation and questioned why the design consultant had not included it in the original project estimates.
The committee has directed officials to ensure that delays in painting do not result in additional costs under other components of the project. It has also sought an assessment of the consultant's and contractor's responsibility for the delay.
The painting dispute shows how the project's planning is being picked apart. A task treated as an afterthought has become a separate extension request, and the committee wants to know why it was left out of the original estimates.
Rs 8 crore additional demand deferred
A proposal seeking an additional Rs 8 crore for electrical work at LG Hospital has also been kept pending. The committee has asked the Engineering Department to provide a detailed breakdown explaining why the additional expenditure is necessary and specify the work for which the money would be used.
Both the extension request and the additional expenditure proposal will be reconsidered after the required details are submitted. Neither the extra time nor the extra money moves until the Corporation explains itself.
Patients face hardship as work drags on
The prolonged renovation has affected facilities for patients at the existing hospital building. The old structure is reportedly in a dilapidated condition, while the number of available beds has declined because of the ongoing construction. Overcrowding has increased, with reports of some patients being forced to lie on the floor.
Taking note of the situation, Vakil directed officials to speed up the work and ensure that patients do not continue to suffer because of construction delays. The instruction acknowledges that the delay is not only a project problem but a patient care problem.
The committee also deferred a proposal seeking a 404-day extension for white-topping road projects across Ahmedabad. The existing deadline for the concrete road-overlay projects is 23 November 2026. However, with completion by that date appearing unlikely, the concerned department had sought additional time, and the committee has kept the proposal pending.
Separately, a road resurfacing tender that attracted bids 35.75 percent above the estimated cost has been put on hold for further negotiations. A proposal involving RCC road construction and paver block installation has also been deferred.
