‘Infrastructure projects were ill-planned,ill-conceived’

The projects were found to be ill-conceived and ill-planned,without a broad overarching vision and perspective of how this would impact urban design and development. The projects’ implementation at “exorbitant average awarded costs of Rs 4.8 crore/km in an ad hoc and arbitrary manner confirm the waste of funds”. The consultant selection was finalised in May-October 2008,after four years,and October 2010 was set as target completion,creating a situation of urgency in execution of the works.

Streetlights

The Public Works Department stipulated the use of a mix of imported and indigenous luminaries for different categories of roads,but following the Chief Minister’s inspection on a sample stretch it was decided that only imported luminaries be used for certain roads. The imported luminaries were procured at a higher cost,leading to avoidable extra expenditure of Rs 31.07 crore across the PWD,MCD and NDMC. The CAG found that the technical specifications for both imported and indigenous luminaries were identical.

Road signages

At the Chief Minister’s insistence,a pilot project was taken up by the PWD in May 2008 to have state-of-the-art road signages,which was done by two leading manufacturers of retro reflective sheets,3M Limited and Avery Dennison. The CAG report says the department did not facilitate healthy competition,but merely ensured sharing of signage work between the two.

After the work was awarded,designs for the signages were revised,leading to large number of extra and substituted items of dubious utility. “These extra and substituted items led to an additional,avoidable expenditure of Rs. 14.88 crore.”

Roads and flyovers

The Delhi government undertook construction of 25 roads and bridges to upgrade city’s infrastructure for the Games,but could complete only 17. The remaining eight were open to traffic with completion status varying between 90 per cent and 99.5 per cent. The report noted that there was irregular award of work in two projects where the lowest bidder was determined by considering separate letters quoting a lump-sum amount and correction fluid was used in the tender documents. These bids were liable for rejection but were accepted by the PWD.

Connaught Place

Though the project was envisaged in April 2004,the approved detailed project report was submitted only in February 2008,“making it unreasonable to expect that the project would be completed in time for the Games”. The report noted that the original estimated cost of Rs 76 crore (as of May 2005) went up nearly nine-fold to Rs 671 crore by July 2007. Instead of dividing the project into manageable packages,NDMC divided it into packages spanning the whole of CP,with all activities underway at the same time. Apart from the pilot project for facade restoration of ‘C’ Block,which was completed in August 2008,the project remained incomplete at the time of the Games.

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