Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya, on the first anniversary of the Air India AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, announced that the state government will develop major healthcare and education infrastructure at the crash site, where 260 people lost their lives.

Paying tribute to the victims and expressing condolences to their families, Pansheriya said the land where the aircraft crashed belongs to the state government and the Health Department. Following discussions with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, the government has decided to establish two key institutions at the site, described as a “Health Temple” and an “Education Temple”.

According to the minister, the Health Temple will include a spine hospital, hostels for students and doctors, and facilities for future super-specialist medical practitioners. Residential accommodation, mess facilities and other supporting infrastructure will also be developed as part of the project.

The Education Temple will focus on strengthening medical education infrastructure and supporting the training of healthcare professionals. The overall redevelopment project has been divided into two phases and will involve an investment of more than Rs 500 crore, Pansheriya said.

The announcement comes a year after the Air India AI-171 crash on June 12, shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft crashed into the Meghaninagar area, hitting buildings linked to B.J. Medical College and nearby Health Department residential and hostel complexes.

The disaster claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members on board and 19 people on the ground, taking the death toll to 260.

Officials said the crash caused extensive damage to the Atulyam 1 to 4 hostel blocks, a canteen and sub-station buildings located within the New Mental Campus near Civil Hospital in Asarwa. Around 92 students were residing in the hostel at the time.

A structural audit later declared the damaged buildings unsafe, leading to their evacuation and planned demolition. The state government has since approved a broader redevelopment plan, including the construction of a modern super-speciality postgraduate hostel complex and expanded medical facilities aimed at boosting Gujarat’s healthcare and medical education capacity.

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