In several cities, the government is going ahead with ambitious construction projects despite the high office-vacancy rates in those cities. The vacant offices, though available for leasing, unfortunately do not meet the requirements for the facilities needed, such as court houses and laboratories. The government, therefore, is not guilty of any fiscal wastefulness.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument above depends?
A Adaptation of vacant office space to meet the government's requirements, if possible, would not make leasing such office space a more cost-effective alternative to new construction.

B The government prefers leasing facilities to owning them in cases where the two alternatives are equally cost-effective.

C If facilities available for leasing come very close to meeting the government's requirements for facilities the government needs, the government can relax its own requirements slightly and consider those facilities in compliance.

D The government's construction projects would not on being completed, add to the stock of facilities available for leasing in the cities concerned.

E Before embarking on any major construction project, the government is required by law to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that there are no alternatives that are most cost-effective.

Kindly give some explanations.

A
It is a tough one.

B. No. If two options are equally cost effective, you can choose one and not be blamed for wastefulness. It is a matter of preference.
C. No. it is asking you to change the premise, which says that the vacant spaces are not suited to the govt needs.
D. No. the scenario is about starting and suspending the construction. The argument is about the whole action.
E. No. extreme statement.

A. if you logically negate A -- "Adaptation of vacant office space to meet the government's requirements, if possible, would make leasing such office space a more cost-effective alternative to new construction"-- it would impact the conclusion. So, the right answer.

Even I'm confused between A & D...

What's the OA ?
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Thanks for the explanation, RaviChandra !
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I see that it's well understood that A is the right ans and I can see why
but I have a doubt on this one, for some reason I was stuck between A and E.

As we all know for assumption questions we are supposed to focus on the conclusion.
Conclusion -> The government is not guilty of any fiscal wastefulness. ( so there is nothing else the govt can do but new construction that is the best possible/cost effective/no waste solution)

A Adaptation of vacant office space to meet the government's requirements, if possible, would not make leasing such office space a more cost-effective alternative to new construction.
(so here they are saying that this office space even if we try to use it won't be cost effective which makes sense and I can't honestly I can't find a flaw in this)

E Before embarking on any major construction project, the government is required by law to establish beyond any reasonable doubt that there are no alternatives that are most cost-effective. ( but in this one, where is the flaw, if the government is required by law to prove that there are no other cost effective alternatives, we have sort of covered all wild possibilities and the govt is in no way being wasteful) - please help me out with what I'm missing here, for some reason I see this as a better ans, since it covers the govt from all sides.
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Although I got the right answer through POE, i dont think I have quite grasp the whole logical reasoning in this question. Can anybody elaborate the reasoning for A? thanks.

I put A just because all the other choices didn't make sense for me. I've seen many techniques that you guys are talking about "irrelevant", "negate", "out of scope". I've never studied for GMAT before. I'm a GMAT rookie. I took the test about two years ago cold turkey. Got a 640 but am trying to improve my score. Please someone be my GMAT Mentor. :D

Please let me know whether I am correct.
As per the option E, ........any reasonable doubt that there are no alternatives that are most cost effective.
By saying that there are no alternatives..., it raises question of what alternative and thus broadens the scope.
Hence incorrect.
Only option A seems correct because it ensures that even if they fulfil all the requirements, then also it would not make leasing office more cost effective.
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But don't you think that this option is way to broad.
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