Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has announced plans to construct a new ultra-modern hostel for doctors near Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after the ‘Atulyam 1 to 4’ hostel blocks at the New Mental Campus in Meghani Nagar were severely damaged in the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy.

State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said Tata Airlines has agreed to pay Rs 53.12 crore as compensation to the Health Department for the damage caused to the hostel blocks and other infrastructure.

According to the minister, the June 12, 2025, plane crash in Meghani Nagar caused extensive damage to the Health Department-owned ‘Atulyam 1 to 4’ hostel blocks, along with the canteen and sub-station buildings. At the time of the incident, 92 students were residing in the hostel premises. A structural audit conducted after the tragedy declared the buildings unsafe for habitation, making demolition inevitable.

To ensure that accommodation facilities for students remain unaffected, the state government has decided to prioritise the construction of a new hostel complex.

Pansheriya said a new Super Specialty Married PG Hostel will be developed at the New Mental Campus near Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Asarwa at an estimated cost of Rs 105 crore. The project has been planned keeping in mind the addition of 48 new seats in super-specialty medical courses and is expected to accommodate a total of 236 super-specialty married PG doctors, including the projected student intake over the next three years.

The project will include a new Super Specialty Hostel block, a modern canteen block and a new sub-station within the New Mental Campus–IGP Compound in Meghani Nagar. The government has already allocated sufficient land for the development.

To speed up implementation, a budgetary provision of Rs 34.65 crore has been approved against an estimated allocation of Rs 51.84 crore in the 2026–27 financial year budget.

Atulyam Hostel Design and Facilities

The proposed ‘Atulyam 1 to 7’ PG Hostel complex will feature a G+8 structure equipped with modern amenities and accommodation for 236 super-specialty married PG doctors.

Each residential unit will be designed as a studio apartment with a living room, attached kitchen, bedroom and toilet facilities. The project will also include safety and utility infrastructure such as fire-fighting systems, an RO plant and an upgraded drainage network.

For the convenience of residents, the campus will additionally feature basement parking facilities, separate accommodation for unmarried PG students, a modern mess, a gymnasium, a recreation room and landscaped open spaces. DeshGujarat