On sixteenth August, AAP held a protest on the under-construction Dwarka freeway website online in Delhi alleging corruption within the challenge. The AAP protests got here after a CAG record alleged that there used to be a large value overrun in the important thing infrastructure challenge.
Within the protest led by means of AAP chief and nationwide spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar, the birthday celebration alleged that there’s a large rip-off within the increased freeway challenge which is being evolved to decongest the Nationwide Freeway 48 between Delhi and Gurugram. The AAP cited a contemporary CAG record which claimed that the challenge is being evolved at a value this is just about ‘14 occasions’ the volume at the start authorized.
The Comptroller and Auditor Common of India (CAG) stated that the Cupboard Committee on Financial Affairs (CCEA) had authorized an total reasonable structure value of ₹18.2 crore according to km whilst approving the Bharatmala programme, however the 14-lane Dwarka Limited-access highway is being evolved at a value of ₹250.77 crore according to km. The CAG record at the implementation of Section-I of the Bharatmala Undertaking mentioned that NHAI Board authorized the Dwarka Limited-access highway with a civil value of ₹7,287.29 crore with according to km ₹250.77 crore as in opposition to according to km civil value of Rs 18.2 crore authorized by means of the CCEA.
भाजपा वालों, Freeway के नाम पर सोने की सड़क बना रहे हो क्या?
एक तरफ़ @ArvindKejriwal सरकार, समय के साथ, निर्धारित से कम बजट में वर्ल्ड-क्लास सड़के बनाती है;
दूसरी तरफ़ चौथी पास राजा की सरकार-जिसका चमत्कारी freeway बनाने का खर्चा 14x हो जाता है
₹6000 करोड़ किसकी जेब में गया?… %.twitter.com/qESBG1i0Vq
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) August 14, 2023
The usage of this CAG record, AAP has selected to assault the Modi executive. The day past Delhi minister Atishi posted a record at the CAG record on Twitter, asking who ‘pocketed ₹6,000 crore’ asking if there will probably be ED/CBI inquiry into it. Lately AAP held a press convention alleging corruption by means of the central executive, the place Sanjay Singh claimed that the Modi executive has damaged all data of scams.
VIDEO | “That is comparable to a large rip-off that the street, for which an approval of Rs 18 crore according to km used to be given, used to be constructed at a value of Rs 251 crore with none approval,” says AAP spokesperson @PKakkar_ at a birthday celebration protest at the under-construction Dwarka Limited-access highway after CAG audit… %.twitter.com/xXczuk1u65
— Press Believe of India (@PTI_News) August 16, 2023
“That is comparable to a large rip-off that the street, for which an approval of Rs 18 crore according to km used to be given, used to be constructed at a value of ₹251 crore with none approval,” stated AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on the protest website online close to Nangli Sakrawati in Najafgarh in Delhi.
The reality
The CAG record stated that the associated fee went up from ₹18.2 crore according to km to ₹250.77 crore according to km for the 29 km challenge, which turns out like a large build up in value. On the other hand, the record is closely deceptive, and the associated fee is very similar to different tasks of the similar nature.
The reason being, the price of ₹18.2 crore according to km regarded as by means of the CAG is the entire value for the Bharatmala challenge projected by means of the CCEA. However the Dwarka Limited-access highway could be very other from different roads within the Bharatmala Undertaking. This is a 14-lane highway, 8 of which might be increased, whilst the remaining 6 lanes are on floor point. As such, the price of an increased highway will probably be naturally a lot more, and no increased highway may also be constructed at the price of ₹18.2 crore according to km, which used to be a mean estimate for grade-level roads.
The Ministry of Highway Delivery and Highways of India (MoRTH) has spoke back to the CAG record by means of pronouncing that this can be a gross misrepresentation of information. The ministry additionally contested the numbers discussed by means of CAG. Whilst the CAG claimed that the civil value to build the Dwarka Limited-access highway challenge got here in at ₹250 crore according to km, the authorized value is ₹206.39 crore according to kilometre and awarded civil value is ₹181.94 crore/km for the challenge, as according to the ministry.
CAG additional claimed there used to be no wish to construct an increased highway, and there used to be sufficient land to construct a 14-land grade-level highway. CAG famous that the associated fee has long past up since the government made up our minds to transform the street to an increased highway. The CAG record additionally mentions that the Freeway Ministry had responded to its queries explaining why an increased highway used to be wanted. The MoRTH stated that Dwarka Limited-access highway used to be made up our minds to be evolved as an eight-lane increased hall with minimum entry-exit preparations to permit clean actions of inter-state site visitors.
Responding to this, the CAG stated that clean site visitors may well be acquired by means of establishing underpasses/flyovers on the intersection issues, as an alternative of making the entire highway as increased.
Alleged rip-off vs alleged value overrun
The CAG record obviously discussed that the associated fee build up is on account of changing the grade-level highway to an increased highway, and the record didn’t trace or allege any rip-off. In impact, the federal government auditor has wondered the desire for an increased highway, pronouncing the similar goal may have been served by means of a grade-level highway with a far cheaper price.
In spite of this being transparent from the CAG record, AAP is alleging a rip-off within the challenge, which is an absolutely baseless allegation. Had AAP leaders in comparison the challenge value with identical increased roads or flyovers, they might have identified that the price of ₹250.77 crore according to km is throughout the reasonable value of such tasks. Additionally, as according to the govt., the true value is ₹181.94 crore/km.
For instance, Delhi’s AAP government is increasing the 1.3 km Punjabi Bagh flyover by means of including 6 lanes to it at the price of ₹352.3 crore, which is ₹271 crore according to km. The flyover has 6 lanes in comparison to 8 of the Dwarka Limited-access highway, however nonetheless, the associated fee is extra. In a similar way, the under-construction 6-lane Anand Vihar flyover is 1.2 km lengthy and it’s being constructed at the price of ₹372.04 crore, a whopping ₹310 crore according to km, and nowhere close to ₹18 crore according to km AAP claims the price of the Dwarka Limited-access highway will have to be.
In a similar way, the 675-meter Signature bridge along side manner roads, with a complete duration of round 6 km, used to be constructed at the price of ₹1,954 crore according to km, which is ₹266 crore/km.
It’s notable that the Dwarka Limited-access highway comprises an 8-lane increased highway and a 6-lane ground-level highway, however nonetheless, the associated fee is not up to the price of 6-lane flyovers.
The reality of ₹18.2 crore according to km value
Whilst the CAG record says that the challenge may have been constructed at the price of ₹18.2 crore according to km if it used to be constructed as a grade-level highway, that statement is wrong. As a result of first, the associated fee is the common value for Bharatmala challenge, and the roads beneath the challenge have 4 to eight lanes, with a majority of 6-lane roads.
Alternatively, Dwarka Limited-access highway is a 14-lane highway. Even though this used to be constructed as a grade-level highway, the associated fee would had been extra as it has extra lanes.
Any other vital level to notice is that the common value of Bharatmala Undertaking does now not come with overpasses, underpasses and so on, as a result of the price of such constructions varies with each website online and it’s tough to seek out a mean value. When CCEA authorized the associated fee, it used to be made up our minds that the price of such further constructions will probably be decided after DPRs are ready.
In keeping with the MoRTH, the common value of particular tasks together with considerable lengths of bridges/via-ducts/tunnels beneath Section-I of the Bharatmala Pariyojna stands at round ₹152 crore according to km, now not ₹18 crore according to km.
If the Dwarka Limited-access highway is constructed as a grade-level highway, it’ll want an especially top choice of overpasses and underpasses as all of the highway is going via metropolitan spaces and there are a lot of site visitors intersections. In consequence, the associated fee will probably be a lot more than the common ₹18.2 crore according to km value or may well be much more than ₹152 crore according to km.
Why increased highway
Coming to the argument of CAG that the street may have been constructed at grade point with flyovers and underpasses anywhere wanted and an increased highway used to be now not wanted, the federal government has argued that it used to be studied and it used to be discovered that it used to be now not a possible choice.
The Dwarka Limited-access highway used to be deliberate long ago in 2006 by means of the Haryana executive to decongest the NH-48 between Delhi and Gurugram. As all of the area is closely populated, there used to be no choice of establishing a separate highway, and your best option used to be to widen the HH-48. To start with, it used to be deliberate as an 8-lane highway, and the state government used to be going to construct it. However for quite a lot of causes together with land acquisition problems, the challenge may now not take off. In consequence, the challenge used to be taken over by means of the union executive in 2016, and the Haryana government passed over the land to the NHAI in 2018.
After taking up the challenge, NHAI regarded as each choices for the challenge, floor point highway and increased highway. They have been mentioned intimately by means of Status Price Committee, Undertaking Appraisal Committee and NHAI Board, and the increased highway choice used to be decided on after the deliberations.
Dwarka Limited-access highway is an engineering surprise involving structure of 8-lane on unmarried pier, which has been conceived and designed bearing in mind provide site visitors quantity, want for seamless connectivity and to satisfy requirement of long term expansion possible of the area. It might additionally… %.twitter.com/NJzhDdzBGK
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 14, 2023
It used to be discovered {that a} ground-level highway with flyovers and underpasses won’t remedy the problem of site visitors congestion within the house. For the reason that present NH-48 have already got a lot of such constructions with a couple of entries and exits, however the site visitors jams proceed. As the world is seeing steady traits alongside all of the stretch of the street, new flyovers and underpasses turn into important at common periods.
If such constructions are added at each site visitors intersection to verify clean site visitors waft, a flyover will probably be wanted at roughly each 2 km. This is able to imply that the freeway will change into a curler coaster, it’ll be a continual collection of flyovers as an alternative of a clean highway. Additionally, extra intersections will wish to be added because the area sees steady construction leading to new main and minor roads.
Additionally it is notable {that a} 14-lane ground-level highway is conceivable most effective within the Haryana segment of the freeway, it isn’t conceivable within the Delhi segment. In keeping with the govt., it will have resulted within the saving of round ₹1200 crore. However as this might have wanted a lot of flyovers and underpasses, with the requirement of including extra in long term, the increased highway choice used to be selected.
The Limited-access highway with 8-land increased highway and 6-lane floor point will successfully segregate native site visitors from interstate site visitors, and supply a continuing connectivity between Delhi and Gurugram.
In conclusion, it may be noticed that CAG wrongly in comparison the common value of most effective roads beneath Bharatmala Undertaking with the Dwarka Limited-access highway challenge. The typical value of a highway with considerable lengths of flyovers is over ₹150 crore beneath the challenge, now not ₹18 crore.
But when the Limited-access highway used to be constructed on floor point, it will have turn into a curler coaster as it’ll want a lot of flyovers. Due to this fact, the increased highway used to be the simpler choice. Plus, the true value as according to the govt. is round ₹182 crore, now not ₹250 crore as claimed by means of CAG.
And, AAP is the use of this CAG report back to assault the Modi executive, when their very own flyovers with fewer lanes value extra.