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Over 60% Smart City projects delayed in Faridabad, Karnal: CAG report

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Shailesh Khanduri
New Update
Haryana Nayab Singh Saini

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (File image)

Chandigarh: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged major lapses in the implementation of the Smart Cities Mission in Haryana’s Faridabad and Karnal, pointing to delays, weak monitoring and deviations from guidelines.

The audit, which reviewed progress up to June 2024, said 167 projects worth Rs 1,881.75 crore were planned for the two cities. Of these, 112 projects were taken up. Nearly 60 per cent of the initiated works were delayed, with slippages ranging from a few days to over four years. The report said delays in some cases went up to 1,506 days. It added that only 45 projects were completed on time.

The CAG also flagged gaps in oversight. It said municipal-level monitoring committees held only 10 meetings against 133 scheduled meetings, affecting regular review of the mission.

The report said no independent quality audits or impact assessments were carried out for the works executed, raising concerns about outcomes and standards.

On funding, the audit noted that against a target mobilisation of Rs 3,896.82 crore for the two cities, only Rs 1,825.86 crore, or 46.86 per cent, was achieved.

It also pointed to a deviation in Karnal, where Karnal Smart City Limited spent Rs 356.87 crore on activities outside the Area-Based Development zone, which the report said was against the mission guidelines.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala cited the findings to attack the BJP-led government, alleging irregularities in the scheme’s execution and questioning the public benefit from the spending.

The Smart Cities Mission, designed for completion within five years, was later extended up to March 2025. The CAG report was tabled in the state assembly, adding to the debate on accountability and delivery of centrally sponsored schemes in the state.

Nayab Saini Nayab Singh Saini Haryana Haryana Government