Telangana's irrigation projects double in cost: CAG reveals Rs 1 lakh crore ballooned to Rs 2 lakh crore due to delays
irrigation projects started between 1983 and 2018 in Telangana has doubled from over Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore as of March 2023, primarily due to their non-completion, the recent CAG report has revealed.
According to the 2022-23 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which was presented in the state legislature on Friday, the state has been deprived of economic growth benefits, and there is no assured return on investments in irrigation and flood control due to incomplete projects.
«There were 20 incomplete irrigation projects (commenced between 1983 and 2018) to be completed by the year 2023. The original cost of these projects has increased from Rs 1,02,388 crore to Rs 2,06,977 crore i.e., an escalation by Rs 1,04,589 crore (102 per cent),» reported PTI quoting the auditing watchdog.
By March 2023, an expenditure of Rs 1,73,564 crore had been incurred on these projects. Additionally, the government faces a pending liability of Rs 8,971 crore for 13 incomplete irrigation projects, the report noted.
«Inordinate delays in the completion of these projects/works not only keep the financial burden of the government increasing year after year, but also deprive the public of the intended benefits,» stated the CAG report.
The report also highlighted the case of Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration, where there has been no expenditure despite a budget proposal of Rs 10,000 crore for 2020-21 to carry out the Musi River purification and Musi River Front Project, among other initiatives. It estimated that
