The Indian Express                 04.05.2013

AMC hikes rentals for its community halls, party plots

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has hiked the rentals of its community halls and party plots by two to four times. The AMC owns and runs 22 community halls, seven party plots and an open air theatre in the city.

The hike in rentals, which has come after a gap of five years, was approved by the civic body's standing committee in a meeting on Thursday. After the meeting, chairman Bhupendra Patel said, "The rates were not revised since 2008. It was time they were raised in view of rising cost of repairs and maintenance."

According to the new proposal, any garba or music programme in these places will attract 50 per cent additional charge. Four of these facilities are off-limits for garba or music programmes.

Some of the halls/plots where rental and deposits have been hiked very steeply are: Sai Jhulelal Open Air Theatre in Kankaria (up from Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,000), Parth Party Plot at Khokhra (up from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000), H L Patel Party Plot at Isanpur (up from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000), Vitthaldas Patel Party Plot at Meghaninagar (up from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000) and Balvantrai Mehta Community Hall at Kankaria (up from Rs 3,500 to Rs 12,000).

Multi-speciality complex in V S hospital to be named after Sardar Patel

The standing committee has also decided to name the upcoming multi-speciality complex on the V S Hospital's land as "Sardar Vallabbhai Patel Institute of Medical Sciences". The proposed building will have three 70-metre high towers and ground floor plus sixteen floors.