A building construction executed by Chhattisgarh’s Tourism Department at a cost of Rs18.90 crore remained incomplete for more than eight years and there was also recoverable payment of escalation of Rs61.97 lakh and unproductive expenditure of Rs3.72 crore on idle staff, CAG has observed.

The Union Ministry of Tourism accorded in December 2006 administrative and financial approval of Rs13.09 crore for construction of Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in Raipur to impart courses and training in the field of Hotel Management, it observed.

Technical sanction for the work was granted in July 2008 by Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, Government of Chhattisgarh for Rs13.83 crore, CAG observed.

Scrutiny in February 2016 and further information collected in January 2017 of the records of the Director, Tourism Department revealed that the construction work was awarded in May 2008 to a contractor for Rs16.78 crore for the completion of the work by April 2009 extended upto September 2013. The contractor executed work worth Rs 15.08 crore upto September 2013 and after receiving the payment stopped further work in September 2013.

The Principal, IHM issued notice to the contractor in March 2014 for termination of the contract and ordered forfeiture of security deposit and completion of balance work at the risk and cost of defaulting contractor, it observed.

However, action as per contract was not taken and the contractor was allowed to execute work without recording any justification, CAG observed.