CAG pulls up Delhi agencies for not enough low-cost houses
3 April 2013 6:31 AM IST
The Delhi State Industrial Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) were pulled up by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Tuesday for not constructing low-cost houses for the urban poor in the national capital.
The Delhi government had fixed a target for constructing 4 lakh low-cost houses in the national capital till March 2012, but only 1,10,584 dwelling units were sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM) till then.
According to the CAG Report, ‘a total of 24 projects comprising 1,10,584 dwellings units estimated at a rough cost of Rs 4,327.46 crore were approved’. But subsequently, plans for 44,720 dwelling units were dropped, after the Delhi government failed to acquire requisite land for the project.
The DSIIDC is the largest implementing agency for housing projects under the Basic Services to the Urban poor (BSUP). The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) approved 8,1528 dwelling units to be executed by DSIIDC under 14 projects.
But the CAG has found that the number of units that were actually constructed were less than the approved numberber. In response to invitation of bids for construction of 5,552 dwelling units at Bapraulla, only one bid was received. The cost quoted by the lone bidder was almost double the estimated cost.
However, the DSIIDC did not opt for re-tendering. When questioned, the DSIIDC stated (in January 2012) that they were following the provisions of the CPWD works manual. However, the DSIIDC did not reply to why the option of re-tendering was not considered.
The report further said that the DSIIDC had spent Rs 50.59 lakh on the projects, which were shelved mainly owing to the failure of the Delhi government to make available proper land to the DSIIDC for the housing projects.
The CSMC had sanctioned eight projects comprising a total of 24,076 dwelling units to be executed by the DUSIB. The CAG report revealed that in two projects, against the approved cost of Rs 28.45 crore, the DUSIB spent Rs 35.46 crore (Rs 7 crore in excess of the approved cost), while other work is yet to be executed. As per the norms of the mission, expenditure above the project cost approved by CSMC, had to be borne by the government.
The CAG in the report came down heavily on DUSIB for failing to construct low cost houses, saying work for 9,780 dwelling units, as part of three projects, was stopped because the width of staircases in all the blocks was not in accordance with the National Building Code.
The CSMC had also approved a project of 4,740 dwelling units at a cost of Rs 196.06 crore to be executed by the DDA. But the DDA split the project into five parts and awarded four contracts for 4,060 dwelling units at the tendered cost of Rs 176.45 crore in June 2010, thirty months after the approval by the CSMC. Work on the remaining 680 dwelling units was not awarded as land for these dwelling units was under litigation.
The Delhi government had fixed a target for constructing 4 lakh low-cost houses in the national capital till March 2012, but only 1,10,584 dwelling units were sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM) till then.
According to the CAG Report, ‘a total of 24 projects comprising 1,10,584 dwellings units estimated at a rough cost of Rs 4,327.46 crore were approved’. But subsequently, plans for 44,720 dwelling units were dropped, after the Delhi government failed to acquire requisite land for the project.
The DSIIDC is the largest implementing agency for housing projects under the Basic Services to the Urban poor (BSUP). The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) approved 8,1528 dwelling units to be executed by DSIIDC under 14 projects.
But the CAG has found that the number of units that were actually constructed were less than the approved numberber. In response to invitation of bids for construction of 5,552 dwelling units at Bapraulla, only one bid was received. The cost quoted by the lone bidder was almost double the estimated cost.
However, the DSIIDC did not opt for re-tendering. When questioned, the DSIIDC stated (in January 2012) that they were following the provisions of the CPWD works manual. However, the DSIIDC did not reply to why the option of re-tendering was not considered.
The report further said that the DSIIDC had spent Rs 50.59 lakh on the projects, which were shelved mainly owing to the failure of the Delhi government to make available proper land to the DSIIDC for the housing projects.
The CSMC had sanctioned eight projects comprising a total of 24,076 dwelling units to be executed by the DUSIB. The CAG report revealed that in two projects, against the approved cost of Rs 28.45 crore, the DUSIB spent Rs 35.46 crore (Rs 7 crore in excess of the approved cost), while other work is yet to be executed. As per the norms of the mission, expenditure above the project cost approved by CSMC, had to be borne by the government.
The CAG in the report came down heavily on DUSIB for failing to construct low cost houses, saying work for 9,780 dwelling units, as part of three projects, was stopped because the width of staircases in all the blocks was not in accordance with the National Building Code.
The CSMC had also approved a project of 4,740 dwelling units at a cost of Rs 196.06 crore to be executed by the DDA. But the DDA split the project into five parts and awarded four contracts for 4,060 dwelling units at the tendered cost of Rs 176.45 crore in June 2010, thirty months after the approval by the CSMC. Work on the remaining 680 dwelling units was not awarded as land for these dwelling units was under litigation.
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