Coordination Failure Leads to Costly Land Acquisition in Jharkhand
A CAG report revealed that the Road Construction Department in Jharkhand spent Rs 19.15 crore on land acquisition without fruitful results due to insufficient coordination among officials. The project, aimed at widening a road in Giridih, faced escalating costs and delays, failing to meet the original timeline.
- Country:
- India
The Road Construction Department in Jharkhand faced scrutiny after a CAG report highlighted an 'unfruitful' expenditure of Rs 19.15 crore on land acquisition. The report, tabled in the Jharkhand Assembly, criticized the department for lacking coordination among officials, which led to the costly mishap.
According to the CAG, the failure in coordinating between the Road Construction Department officials and the district land acquisition officer in Giridih resulted in delays that significantly increased project costs. The widening and strengthening project of the Kodembri-Mandro-Asko Road, sanctioned in 2011, was aimed to be completed by 2012, but inefficiencies disrupted progress.
The lack of timely coordination meant that the Rs 19.15 crore spent was deemed unfruitful as the required land acquisition was not completed on schedule. A revised project estimate, amounting to Rs 51.12 crore, including the previous land acquisition costs, was only sanctioned in December 2016, well past deadlines. The department's response on the matter remains pending as of November 2023.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News