Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, 14 August, targeted the centre over the the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) claims on the cost of the Dwarka expressway, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has "broken all records of corruption of the last 75 years."
The CAG, in its report flagged a “very high” construction cost of the Dwarka Expressway at Rs 250.77 crore per km against Rs 18.20 crore per km approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), reports said.
What Kejriwal said:
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal said: "Modi government broke all the records of 75 years of corruption."
What the CAG report said:
The cost of the 29.06-km Expressway was sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
According to The Indian Express, the CAG report said: "NHAI, which was developing 70,950 km of national highways length out of 76,999 km of national highways length determined for BPP-I, was also delegated the power to decide the mode of construction of the projects being implemented by it."
According to the audit, the decisions on mode of construction were being taken by NHAI "without any valid justification on record."
The CAG's report also reportedly found that the appraisal and approval mechanism proposed to CCEA did not clearly define the terms 'project' and 'package' before delegating powers to decide project construction mode.
What AAP said:
Addressing the media, AAP leader Sanjay Singh questioned the Modi government and questioned the Modi government's alleged double-speak on corruption.
"On one hand, PM Modi in his speeches claims that corruption has been eradicated. In shocking revelations, the CAG has has unearthed corruption of Modi government itself. The Dwarka Expressway, which was to be made in RS 18 crore/km is being made in Rs 250 crore/km," he said.
"He didn't even spare Lord Ram. Around Rs 20 Crore was manipulated by the Ayodhya Development Authority is what is being claimed by the CAG report. Will PM Modi give a speech against corruption in the whole country, and simultaneously loot the country along with a friend? We are not going to remain silent. I urge members of INDIA alliance to expose this in front of the whole country," he added.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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