CAG Audit Uncovers Lucknow Metro's Unauthorized Exclusion of Mahanagar Station
A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled in the Uttar Pradesh state Assembly, has brought to light a significant oversight in the Lucknow Metro project. The audit reveals that the Mahanagar area, originally slated to have a Metro station as part of Phase-1A, was inexplicably dropped from the final alignment without proper approvals.
Original Plans and High Ridership Projections
In December 2013, the central government granted pre-approval for Phase-1A of the Lucknow Metro. The Detailed Project Report (DPR), along with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Centre and the UP government, a finance contract with the European Investment Bank (EIB), and a project agreement with EIB, all explicitly specified the construction of 22 stations along the 23-kilometer corridor. According to the DPR, the Mahanagar station was projected to have the third-highest passenger footfall in 2015 and the second highest by 2020.
A source within the Lucknow Municipal Corporation highlighted that the Mahanagar area, encompassing two separate wards—Mahanagar and Vivekananda Puri—boasts a population exceeding one lakh residents. This demographic density underscored the station's anticipated importance in serving a substantial urban community.
Violation of Binding Agreements and Lack of Approval
However, the CAG audit found that the executing agency, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), constructed only 21 stations, omitting Mahanagar from the alignment. The report states that no evidence was produced to demonstrate that any proposal for its exclusion was presented to the central or state governments, nor was any approval obtained for this deviation. This action violated multiple binding documents, including the DPR, MoU, finance contract, and project agreement, thereby depriving the Mahanagar area of a crucial Metro facility despite its projected high ridership.
In September 2024, the state government responded by claiming that the change was not concealed, asserting that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had notified the alignment with 21 stations after reviewing it against the original DPR. However, the CAG found this response unconvincing. The audit noted that while UPMRC informed MoHUA about other major alterations—such as converting the proposed elevated station at Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport to an underground one—it failed to disclose the removal of the Mahanagar station.
UPMRC's Justification and CAG's Rebuttal
The CAG emphasized that any deviation from the approved DPR required a separate, explicit approval from the Government of India, accompanied by a justification, which was neither sought nor granted in this instance. This oversight raises serious questions about procedural compliance and transparency in infrastructure projects.
Reacting to the CAG report, UPMRC told the Times of India that station locations were optimized by dropping Mahanagar. The corporation argued that it was appropriate to have both 'IT Chauraha' and 'Badshah Nagar' stations closer to Mahanagar, maintaining a standard distance of approximately one kilometer between each station. Despite this rationale, the CAG maintains that the exclusion without formal approval constitutes a breach of contractual and governmental obligations.
The findings highlight potential lapses in governance and accountability within large-scale public infrastructure initiatives, urging stricter adherence to sanctioned plans and approval processes.
