14-km road built, but ends unconnected; CAG calls for fixing responsibility

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 17

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has called for fixing responsibility in Public Works Department (PWD) for constructing a 14-km long link road in Yamunanagar whose ends remain unconnected, as there is a patch of 3.43 km private land in the middle of the road.

It has resulted in an unfruitful expenditure of Rs 6.30 crore, but the road couldn’t be utilised by commuters, said the CAG.

According to the CAG report on ‘Social, General and Economic Sectors’, for the year ending March 2019, the PWD had constructed a 14-km long link road from Sadhaura to Mugalwali village via Rattuwala and Safilpur villages in Yamunanagar district in 1992.

As per the PWD code, the land on which construction is to be carried out should be in the possession of the department. Despite that, the road was covering 3.43 km of private land too without acquiring it and paying compensation to landowners.

A landowner filed a civil suit in the court in November 2010 for getting the land vacated and got relief in January 2014 where possession was given to the owner.

The department filed an appeal in the District Courts, which was dismissed in March 2017, and further appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court was also dismissed in September 2017.

Though the litigation was going on, the department prepared an estimate for widening and strengthening of the total 14-km length of the link road which was administratively approved by the state government in May 2016.

The contractor executed the work by December 2017. But no work could be carried out on 3.43 km of private land. The department paid Rs 6.25 crore to the contractor in January 2019.

During physical verification in February 2019 along with departmental officers, it was observed that the road was not through as both the ends remained separate due to the non-existence of the road for 3.43 km.

Double disbursal of scholarships

The CAG has recommended fixing responsibility of officers in the Department of Elementary Education and Department of Secondary Education for double disbursal of scholarships worth Rs 30.76 crore meant for SC and BPL category students

The CAG also recommended for fixing responsibility on District Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Controllers for not claiming driage charges of Rs 101.59 crore from Food Corporation of India in regular bills at the time of supply of custom milled rice, resulting in delayed receipt between 22 and 1,577 days which caused an interest burden of Rs 13.45 crore.