Bhopal, Nov 11 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday questioned the Centre over a reported cost escalation of around Rs 3.22 lakh crore in 1,853 central projects, alleging that repeated delays and revisions had placed an additional burden on public funds.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari, citing data from the Centre’s PAIMANA portal, said 25 major projects accounted for Rs 2.11 lakh crore of the total increase, nearly 65 per cent of the additional expenditure.
He said the amount spent on the cost escalation in these 25 projects could have been used to build around 4,200 schools, assuming a construction cost of Rs 50 crore each.
“Who will be held accountable for this wastage of public money?” Patwari asked, demanding that the government disclose the reasons behind the rising project costs and identify those responsible.
Citing specific examples, he said the estimated cost of the Polavaram Irrigation Project had increased from Rs 10,151 crore to Rs 55,549 crore.
The cost of the Subansiri project had risen from Rs 6,285 crore to Rs 26,076 crore, while that of the Sardar Sarovar project had gone up from Rs 20,718 crore to Rs 33,413 crore.
Patwari also highlighted the delay in the Hubli-Ankola railway line, which was originally scheduled for completion in March 2005 but now has a revised deadline of March 2030.
He alleged that such cost escalations and delays raised questions about project planning, implementation and accountability, particularly when large amounts of public money were involved.
“The country has the right to know why project costs are rising repeatedly, who is responsible for the delays and what action has been taken against those accountable,” he said.
The Congress leader demanded an independent inquiry into the cost overruns and delays.
He also sought public disclosure of the reasons for revised project estimates and timelines, and action against officials found responsible.
–IANS
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