Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislature Assurance Committee, in its report, has mentioned that the state government had suffered huge losses in recent decades owing to delay in project implementation. The delay has led to escalation of cost by around 200 times.

Tabling the report in the Vidhana Soudha on March 9, Committee President Basavaraja Horatti said that the estimated cost of Bennethora Irrigation Project in Kalaburagi district was Rs 78.83 Crore in 1960. However, owing to the the delay, the cost of the project increased to Rs 504.39 Crore.

Similarly, in 1972, the estimated cost of Amarja Dam project was Rs 5.70 Crore but now it has increased to Rs.295.83 Crores. When permission was sanctioned for the flyover project from Kitturu Chennamma Circle of Hubballi to Unakal tank, the estimated cost was Rs 30 Crore but now it has been increased to Rs 300 Crore. “This is a clear example of laxity on the part of officials”, he said adding that the officials and contractors had joined hands to waste public money.

Meanwhile, he said that out of 1,379 assurances made, 957 have been fulfilled by putting pressure on officials. Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Finance, Infrastructure, Public Industries Department officials have completed the assurances, he said.