Riding on the demands by a section of leaders and officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to award the lease of Jaldhara Water Park, Kankaria to the previous contractor, the Standing Committee silently approved the same. Previously, a dispute had arisen over the denial of work to the contractor, accompanied by allegations of corruption. In response, the corporation had requested an investigation into the matter from the Commissioner. Before anyone could comprehend the unfolding suspense, the application quietly received approval in the Standing Committee, reassigning the lease and management of the water park to the previous contractor.
In 2018, instead of renewing the lease for the Water Park, AMC decided to cancel its renewal. Consequently, the Park remained closed for four years until a sudden application surfaced, proposing a 15-year lease for the old company, Super Star Amusement Pvt. Ltd., to operate it. The disputed contractor company was silently granted the work without any discussion in the Recreational and Heritage Committee and the Standing Committee.
On April 12, 2023, an application was submitted to the Recreational and Heritage Committee, seeking a lease for Super Star Amusement Pvt. Ltd., but the committee offered a lower annual rent of Rs 35 lakh per year. As a result, the decision was made to forward the application to the Commissioner instead of the committee. However, instead of reaching the Commissioner, the application was sent back to the Standing Committee. Subsequently, on April 27, 2023, it approved the application to increase the annual rent from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for Super Star Amusement Pvt. Ltd.
Although the committee had proposed withdrawing the tender for the Water Park, it approved the application with amendments, reinstating the park to the old company. There was no dispute between the Recreational and Heritage Committee and the Standing Committee of AMC regarding the contract. Separate applications were presented and approved by the committee, favouring the contractor. AMC issued a work order to the contractor, who will undertake renovation work for six months before reopening the Water Park.
This entire controversy revolves around the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation awarding a contract to Super Amusement Company through a tender process for the Kankaria Water Park, situated on a 10,194 square metre plot acquired in 1998. The initial contract period was set for 15 years. On August 17, 2017, the contract expired, and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation chose not to renew the lease. Consequently, the contractor company filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court, resulting in an affidavit from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation stating their decision not to renew the lease and requesting a fresh inspection of the land. Eventually, the Gujarat High Court dismissed the contractor’s petition.
On April 4, 2018, the gate of the Kankaria Water Park, under the possession of the AMC, was locked, indicating the absence of a definitive decision regarding the land. The contractor lost the legal battle against AMC in Gujarat High Court. Despite an appeal, the HC dismissed his petition. The contractor sought re-engagement from AMC, but the immediate Commissioner, Mukesh Kumar, and several BJP leaders did not accept the demand, resulting in the closure of the Kankaria Water Park. However, after the appointment of Commissioner Lochan Sehra, serious consideration was given to the proposal of reopening it.
On September 24, 2022, AMC issued a tender for the operation and maintenance of the Water Park, with an annual base prize set at Rs 30 lakh. The estimated cost for the contractor is Rs 4.50 crore. The tender submission deadline was October 28, 2022.
However, before finalising the tender, Commissioner Sahera was transferred, and the new Commissioner, M. Thennarasan, assumed charge. Although the Corporation issued the tender for the Kankaria Water Park, it did not receive approval from the Standing Committee. A dispute emerged among BJP leaders, with one faction favouring the contract’s allocation, while the other faction, led by the new Commissioner, opposing granting contract to the same company. The dispute continued until April 12, 2023 when the matter was raised in the Recreational and Heritage Committee. A request was made to lease the Park for an annual rent of Rs 35 lakh. Committee Chairman Raju Dave supported the request and informed journalists that offers had been received from various companies proposing an annual rent of Rs 50 lakh. Hence, they were reconsidering the tender. He stated that he had returned the request to the Commissioner for further action. However, it is surprising that it landed back with the committee.
On April 20, 2023, based on the discussions in the Recreational and Heritage Committee, the company submitted a tender request to the Standing Committee. However, the request was not approved on that day. Subsequently, on April 27, 2023, during another Standing Committee meeting, the previous request was reintroduced with improvements and received approval. The Standing Committee accepted the tender request this time, granting the contract to the former contractor with an annual rent of Rs 50 lakh.
The most significant development is the approval to establish a restaurant within the Water Park premises, allowing people to sit and enjoy. Additionally, the builder can introduce new rides in the Park. Currently, only the RSC structure is present, necessitating an update. As per the tender, a maintenance contract has been awarded to a contractor, and if the work progresses well, the lease may be extended for more than five years.
Making Of The Cesspool
1. The initial controversy surrounding the Water Park was related to the lease agreement. In 1998, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation leased the land for 15 years to develop the Super Amusement Park, which later transformed into the Water Park. However, an incident occurred that led to the termination of the lease before its completion. Construction of the Water Park commenced in 1998 but was completed in 2002, with the entire project concluding in 2017.
2. A dispute arose concerning the rental of the Water Park for weddings and the organisation of Navratri events. Initially, there were no objections to utilising the Water Park for weddings or hosting commercial events. However, later controversies emerged, resulting in the temporary suspension of such events.
3. The Water Park occupies a 10,000 sq. m. plot in Kankaria, valued at Rs 100 crore. Nevertheless, the annual revenue received by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is merely Rs 50 lakh. Interestingly, the contractor will decide the ticket prices. Sources within the Corporation indicate that a competitive bidding process could have been conducted if any clarifications regarding the tender had been sought.
4. Another controversy revolved around an unfortunate accident at Kankaria Rides. On July 14, 2019, two fatalities and serious injuries to 29 individuals occurred due to the accident. The contractor, Superstar Amusement Park Pvt. Ltd., was held accountable. Instead of blacklisting the contractor, the officials of the Corporation opted to renew the Water Park contract. This decision drew flak from the opposition party. However, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation ensured that appropriate measures were taken to prevent similar incidents in the future by imposing specific conditions and approving the tender.
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