Delay in irrigation projects costs Telangana exchequer Rs 1 trn more: CAG

The cost of 20 irrigation projects commenced between 1983 and 2018 in Telangana doubled from over Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore as on March 2023, due to non-completion, the CAG report has said.

According to the report (for 2022-23) by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which was placed in the state legislature on Friday, non-completion of projects deprives the state of the intended benefits of economic growth and there was no assurance on returns from the investments in irrigation and flood control as the state government did not disclose financial results of any of the irrigation projects.

"There were 20 incomplete irrigation projects (commenced between 1983 and 2018) to be completed by the year 2023. The original cost of these projects has increased from Rs 1,02,388 crore to Rs 2,06,977 crore i.e., an escalation by Rs 1,04,589 crore (102 per cent)," the auditing watchdog said.

An expenditure of Rs 1,73,564 crore was incurred on these projects as of March 2023. In ...