The Gujarat government has announced plans to reconstruct the BJ Medical College Hostel complex that was heavily damaged in the Air India AI-171 plane crash in 2025, despite demands from some victims’ families to preserve the site as a memorial.
State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said a new ultra-modern hostel complex will be built at the same location at an estimated cost of Rs 105 crore.
The tragic incident occurred on June 12, 2025, when the London-bound Air India flight AI-171 crashed into the medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived.
Meanwhile, relatives of several victims have urged authorities to convert the crash site into a memorial. In emails shared by a law firm representing 115 victims’ families, they described the location as a “space of memory and reflection” connected to immense grief and loss. The families also requested that the government consult them before making any permanent changes to the site.
According to the government, the Tata Group, owner of Air India, has agreed to provide Rs 53.12 crore to the Health Department to compensate for damage to the ‘Atulyam’ hostel blocks 1 to 4, along with the canteen and sub-station building near Civil Hospital.
A structural safety assessment conducted after the accident reportedly found the buildings unsafe, making demolition necessary. To prevent disruption in student accommodation, the state government decided to construct a new hostel facility.
The proposed redevelopment includes a ground-plus-eight-storey ‘Atulyam 1 to 7’ hostel complex with accommodation for 236 doctors, including married residents. The project will also feature studio-style apartments with kitchens, bedrooms and attached bathrooms, besides basement parking, a gymnasium, recreation facilities, landscaped areas, a canteen block and a new sub-station building.
Minister Pansheriya said Rs 34.65 crore has already been allocated for the project in the 2026-27 state budget against the total estimated government share of Rs 51.84 crore.