AG finds anomalies in Bundi twin tunnel work

The Auditor General (AG) has detected a loss of ₹2.06 crore to the exchequer due to the undervaluation of muck excavated during the construction of twin tunnels in the Aravali mountain range for Kota-Jaipur National Highway-52 in Bundi district.

As per information procured by environment activist Tapeshwar Singh Bhati under Right to Information (RTI) Act, the rocks excavated during the tunnel construction were used entirely by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), but their cost was not evaluated as per the due basic schedule of rates (BSR).

As per the audit findings, the actual cost of excavated rocks as per the BSR came to Rs 289.15 lakh whereas the cost evaluated and deposited by the concerned government agencies was around Rs 82.61 lakh.

Union Ministry of Environment and Forest had granted the final approval in May 2012 for transfer of around 69.19 hectares of forest land to widen the twolane NH-52 stretch from Jaipur to Jhalawar into four lanes. For expansion, two tunnels totalling 1120 metres in length were to be constructed.

An audit in 2015 found that a five-member committee was formed on the instructions of the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), led by chief conservator of forest, Kota, and comprising deputy conservator of forest, Bundi and officials of PWD, NHAI and Bundi district administration. The committee had to evaluate the rocks excavated during tunnel construction and deposit the cost with the forest department. However, the committee did not evaluate the rocks.

It was manager, NHAI Kota, who evaluated the excavated rocks --- 1,65,226 cubic metres of hard rock and around 1,06,911 cubic metres of soft rock.

Later, the executive engineer of the public works department (PWD), Bundi circle identified 50% hard rock as suitable for use and prepared estimate of recovery of Rs 82.61 lakh at the rate of Rs 100 per cubic metre.

On the basis of that estimate, NHAI later deposited demand drafts of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 62.61 lakh with the forest department in November 2012 and April 2013, respectively.

The auditors, however, envisaged that the cost of excavated rocks should have been evaluated at the rates of Rs 350 per cubic metre, as per the BSR. The audit concluded that actual cost of the excavated rocks was Rs 289.15 lakh, which should have been recovered from NHAI towards excavated rocks instead of mere Rs 82.61 lakh, which led to a loss of Rs 206.34 lakh to the exchequr and an undue benefit to the user agency – the NHAI.

Moreover, the audit report also found that neither the committee formed for cost evaluation nor the deputy conservator of forest, Bundi, has so far evaluated the cost of excavated ‘soft rocks’, which also has provided undue benefit to the NHAI.

After finding anomalies in the cost evaluation, the audit team brought the matter into the knowledge of the principal secretary, forest, Rajasthan government.

When asked about the audit objections, conservator of forest, Kota, Anil Kapoor, he said that the forest department has recently written to the PWD and the NHAI for submitting the facts on the basis of which evaluation of the excavated rocks was done.

Kapoor said that if the replies were not found satisfactory, then they will be asked to submit the deficit amount.