Bengaluru: A Comptroller and Auditor General report has flagged repeated deviations from norms set by Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) and Karnataka public works department (PWD) code, hurting both cost efficiency and quality of works taken up in Karnataka between 2019 and 2024.The compliance audit, tabled in the assembly Monday by chief minister DK Shivakumar, found that wrong items or rates in 186 road works inflated project costs by an estimated Rs 34.9 crore.The biggest chunk came from bituminous works. PWD used a road metal density of 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre instead of 1.8 tonnes suggested by mines and geology department, leading to inflated rates. The additional burden was estimated at Rs 24.1 crore across 239 works, which used 5,57,825 cubic metres of bituminous layers.The audit also found that for pavement quality concrete (PQC) M40, PWD applied the rate for building works instead of road works, adding Rs 3.7 crore across 18 works. In another case, there was no schedule of rates item for using excavated soil for subgrade or shoulders, so divisions opted for costlier borrowed soil. This cost an extra Rs 3.7 crore across 33 works.“Besides the financial burden, incorrect rates have affected all similar works and will continue to do so, as other departments also follow these codes to prepare estimates and awarding works,” the report said.Recycling was another missed opportunity. MoRTH specifications require recycled material in bituminous pavements to be a blend of reclaimed and fresh material, proportioned to meet engineering requirements. “In 13 works involving scarification of bituminous surfaces, there was no provision for reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Had it been recycled, govt could have saved an estimated Rs 8.8 crore,” the report said.Govt, in its reply, said limited funds forced it to follow a phased approach to road construction. “Lower layers are designed to last 15 years, while the bituminous layer is meant for five. Concrete roads are fixed at 30 to 50 years, regardless of thickness. Any extra cost for additional thickness is unnecessary and an avoidable burden on the state,” the report stated.
