Four Stadium Projects Stopped Incomplete, Says CAG
Works sanctioned between 2015 and 2019 under a plan to develop sports infrastructure remained incomplete across multiple districts, defeating the stated objective: CAG
HYDERABAD: Four stadium projects sanctioned in different Assembly constituencies in Telangana were abandoned mid-construction in the period ending March 2022, due to procedural lapses, delayed payments and inadequate supervision, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said.
In its audit of the youth advancement, tourism and culture department for the period that covered the BRS government tenure, the CAG said works sanctioned between 2015 and 2019 under a plan to develop sports infrastructure remained incomplete across multiple districts, defeating the stated objective.
“Administrative approvals granted without financial concurrence, non-approval of Extension of Time (EoTs), and delayed payments to contractors, coupled with inadequate supervision by higher authorities, led to the abandonment of stadium buildings after incurring an expenditure of `2.32 crore,” the report said.
At Bichkunda, a stadium sanctioned in April 2013 for 2.10 crore was awarded in April 2016 with a 12-month completion period. Work stopped in March 2018 following payment delays after expenditure of 82.87 lakh. The Superintending Engineer of TSMSIDC recommended closure of the agreement in December 2019. Revised estimates excluded components such as water supply, sanitation, tracks and courts, leaving `1.17 crore worth of work pending as of March 2023.
A mini-stadium at Domakonda in Kamareddy constituency, awarded in December 2016 and scheduled for completion by December 2017, was halted in June 2018 due to non-payment to the contractor. The audit recorded expenditure of 85.55 lakh, with 1.12 crore worth of work remaining.
At Narayankhed in Sangareddy district, a mini-stadium sanctioned in June 2013 for 2.65 crore did not progress beyond the plinth stage. Awarded in October 2017 with a completion deadline of October 2018, work stopped in May 2018 as financial concurrence had not been obtained, preventing bill payments. The agreement was cancelled in December 2020. The Executive Engineer stated that “the work was cancelled in December 2020 and no further tenders were called for completion of remaining works.” Expenditure of 20.22 lakh was rendered unproductive.
An indoor stadium at Choutuppal in Munugode constituency, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, sanctioned in September 2015 for 1.25 crore and due for completion by May 2017, saw delays due to inspections and a change in implementing agency, extending timelines to May 2018. The contractor later sought an extension, which was not approved and stopped responding to notices. The project was abandoned in July 2022 after an expenditure of 43.68 lakh, with no functional outcome.
