•The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) identified an unwarranted expenditure of Rs 297.97 crore in Maharashtra road projects under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
•The report, tabled in the state legislative assembly, covered the period from 2018-19 to 2022-23 for HAM projects.
•Deficiencies in Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation, including higher-than-required crust thickness and lumpsum provisioning, led to avoidable costs.
•Delays in milestone and annuity payments resulted in Rs 4.65 crore in interest payments to concessionaires.
•The audit also flagged unrealistic insurance charges in O&M costs, leading to an excess burden of Rs 34.56 crore, and serious monitoring lapses.
