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The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out financial mismanagement at Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA). The CAG report tabled in the State Assembly on Thursday pointed to “infructuous expenditure” of ₹373.62 crore.
According to the apex audit body, MEGA had spent the amount on the development of three depot sites for the metro rail project, which was later scrapped and the expenditure incurred could not be used in the new phase under progress.
CAG pointed out that the company has spent ₹373.62 crore on the development of these sites under the earlier phase without the approval of Draft Project Report, which was approved in December 2012.
This was the period when former IAS officer Sanjay Gupta headed the project. Gupta was later arrested for alleged financial irregularities.
Work on Metro project was launched during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chief Minister.
The company had awarded 1,868 work orders for the earlier phase of the project, which was subsequently scrapped in September 2013 due to non-receipt of approval from the Centre and the State government. An amount of ₹445.86 crore was incurred on the abandoned phase up to March 2015, CAG noted.
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