Now Reading: CAG flags Rs 29.45 crore wasted as 81 acres of Delhi land lie idle for 17 years
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CAG flags Rs 29.45 crore wasted as 81 acres of Delhi land lie idle for 17 years
CAG flags Rs 29.45 crore wasted as 81 acres of Delhi land lie idle for 17 years
The Comptroller and Auditor General has found that DSIIDC left 81.42 acres of land in southwest Delhi's Baprola unused for over 17 years, causing unfruitful expenditure of Rs 29.45 crore. The land…
The Story in Brief
The Comptroller and Auditor General has found that DSIIDC left 81.42 acres of land in southwest Delhi's Baprola unused for over 17 years, causing unfruitful expenditure of Rs 29.45 crore. The land was acquired in December 2006 for a gems and jewellery park and a fashion design hub, but repeated changes in use, including a knowledge-based industrial park and an electronics city, left 59% of the 137.63-acre plot idle till November 2024.
The CAG report, tabled by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday, also noted that DSIIDC has not paid annual ground rent since December 2007, building an outstanding liability of Rs 15.79 crore that could grow with interest and penalties. The audit found that prolonged indecision at the Delhi industries department and delays in policy approvals were the key reasons for the wasted expenditure.
The Indian Opinion
The Baprola land saga is a textbook example of bureaucratic flip-flops costing the taxpayer. First a gems park, then a knowledge hub, then an electronics city, each plan consumed years and crores but delivered nothing. Delhi's industry department and DSIIDC blame market conditions, but the real fault is the absence of execution accountability. With Rs 29.45 crore spent and a Rs 15.79 crore ground rent liability looming, the test will be whether the new Electronics City proposal meets the same fate or finally sees a shovel in the ground.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
