“The Hajipur-Sagauli New Line project, sanctioned in 2003-04 at an estimated cost of ₹24.66 crore, registered a huge cost escalation of ₹2,066.78 crore in January 2019 due to indecisiveness of the Railway Administration,” according to a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report.
Tabled in the Lok Sabha on February 7, the report titled 'Loss due to indecision of Railway Administration in the matter of land acquisition: East Central Railway' was based on one of the findings of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report of 2021.
After carrying out a detailed examination, the PAC observed that the railways' lack of prudent decision-making and timely payments resulted in avoidable extra expenditure, underscoring the importance of meticulous financial planning and adherence to land acquisition policies.
