Lion safari work abandoned midway, Rs 2.31 crore spent
The failure of the Forests and Wildlife Preservation (FWP) Department and Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) to provide requisite funds for the completion of work as well as lapse on the part of the Public Works Department (PWD) to start the work without ensuring the deposit of sufficient funds led to midway abandonment of the lion safari work, which rendered Rs 2.31 crore spent on the project as wasteful.
This observation was made in the 2024 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on compliance audit-I for the year ended March 31, 2022, which was tabled in the Punjab Assembly recently.
The report, a copy of which is with The Tribune, said the FWP Department had accorded administrative approval to the construction of the lion safari at the Mattewara forest in Ludhiana for Rs 4.14 crore in July 2016. The work was to be executed by the PWD and it was decided that funds for the work would be provided by the PIDB.
“Test check of records showed that PWD Chief Engineer, Central, technically sanctioned the estimate of the work for Rs 4.03 crore in July 2016,” the audit report mentioned while stating that the work included civil work (construction of interpretation centre building, kitchen block, public toilet block, ticket counters and main gate), water supply, sewerage, sanitary and electrical services.
The work was allotted in November 2016 to a construction company at Rs 3.78 crore for completion within six months by May 1, 2017.
The audit revealed that the progress of work was slow due to non-provision of adequate funds by the PIDB. “Against the execution of the work valuing Rs 2.31 crore as of January 2018, the PIDB provided/ released in November 2016 Rs 1.01 crore only for which utilisation certificate was submitted in March 2017,” it pointed out while stating that the executive engineer demanded further funds from PIDB as well as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ludhiana, but no funds were provided/ released.
In June 2017, it was decided in a meeting of the PIDB held under the chairmanship of the then Chief Minister that due to shortage of funds with the PIDB, administrative departments may identify other sources of funds and departmental schemes to meet the liabilities of their projects. “But no such source was identified by the FWP Department to complete the project,” the CAG reported.
Due to non-payment, the contractor approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, claiming his outstanding payments against the executed work and the court ordered in April 2018 for making payment to the contractor. Accordingly, the executive engineer made payment of Rs 1.3 crore in January 2019.
The audit noticed that the work remained standstill since January 2018. After waiting for over three-and-a-half years, the Chief Engineer in August 2021, on the recommendation of the Superintending Engineer, ordered the closure of the agreement due to the non-availability of funds or non-providing of funds by the funding agency.
“At a time of closure of agreement, the work to the extent of 58 per cent was completed at an expenditure of Rs 2.31 crore,” the report said, adding that the lion safari could not be made functional till August 2022.
The matter was referred to the state government in October 2022 but its reply was waited till February 2024.
Indicting the FWP, PIDB and the PWD for failure and lapse that led to midway abandonment of the lion safari work, rendering Rs 2.31 crore spent on the project wasteful, the CAG recommended that the department should ensure to provide/ obtain requisite funds for completion of the work prior to its start to avoid midway abandonment of the project.
