Who Built This Road? Ahmedabad Now Makes Display of Contractor Details Mandatory

In a move aimed at making civic road projects more transparent, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has made information plaques mandatory for road-resurfacing projects.Under the new rule, contractors must install stone-fitted signboards at both the starting and ending points of a roadwork site before their first running bill is cleared.Who’s Responsible? The Plaque Will Tell YouThe mandatory signboards will carry key information, including the road name, zone and ward, scheduled completion date and defect liability period.They must also display the contractor’s name and mobile number, along with the AMC’s toll-free number. This means residents will no longer have to depend solely on civic records to identify the agency responsible for a freshly resurfaced road.Jainik Vakil, chairman of the AMC’s Roads and Buildings Committee, said the details would have to be clearly displayed at the project site.Photos, Videos and a Digital TrailThe accountability will not stop with a physical plaque. Contractors will be required to photograph and record videos of the installed signboards, with the documentation uploaded to the AMC website. Final payment will be processed only after the civic body verifies the work through photographs and videos.And if a project’s deadline changes during construction, the contractor will have to install an updated signboard reflecting the revised timeline.A Rule That Was Announced BeforeInterestingly, this is not Ahmedabad’s first attempt at such transparency.The AMC had introduced a similar plaque system in 2023, intending to help residents identify contractors and track defect liability periods. However, implementation remained limited to selected roads.This time, the civic body has added a powerful enforcement mechanism: bill payments will be linked to compliance.Accountability Beyond CompletionContractors will also remain responsible for maintaining the plaque throughout the entire defect liability period.With deadlines, contact details and liability information visible to the public, the AMC hopes the new system will make road contractors more accountable—and give citizens a clearer way to raise concerns when roads fail to meet expectations.