CAG highlights irregularities in construction of Dwarka Expressway: ‘Cost exceeded 14 times’

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Monday flagged the exceeding cost of Dwarka Expressway, a project under the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-1. The top auditor of the government pointed out that the amount spent on the project has exceeded the amount allocated by 14 times.

CAG report mentioned that the 14-lane national highway which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in 2017 has a very high per km cost at ₹250.77 crore. However, the cost approved by the CCEA was just ₹18.20 crore, as per a report by NDTV.

The 14-lane expressway was sanctioned by the government in order to decongest the NH-48 between Delhi and Gurugram. The Ministry of Road and Transport justified the high cost of the project and said the eight-lane elevated corridor is built with minimal entry-exit arrangements.

“Dwarka Expressway was decided to be developed as an eight-lane elevated corridor with minimal entry exit arrangements to allow smooth movements of inter-state traffic,” the ministry said in its response. But, CAG was not satisfied with the rationale given by the ministry.

Earlier planned by Haryana govt

CAG report notes that earlier the expressway was planned by the Haryana government under the Gurgaon-Manesar Urban Construction Plan-2031. The Haryana government acquired 150 meters right of way for the project. It planned to construct a main carriage way of 25 meters and 7 meters wide dedicated corridor for trunks services, The Indian Express highlighted from the report.

“However, with no further progress being made by the Haryana government, this project was later approved in BPP-I by CCEA,” the report said.

“Audit observed that up to 70-75 meters, right of way was required to build a 14-lane national highway at grade. However, for no reasons on record, the project in the Haryana region, where its length was 19 km, was planned with an eight-lane elevated main carriageway and six lanes at grade road, when NHAI already had 90 m right of way and the same was sufficient for building 14 lanes at grade…. Due to such massive structures, this project, constructed on EPC [Engineering, Procurement, and Construction]mode, for a length of 29.06 km had sanctioned civil construction cost of ₹7,287.29 crore i.e., ₹250.77 crore/km as against per-km civil construction cost of ₹18.20 crore approved by CCEA…” the report said.