News · 12 October 2026 · 4 min read

Dehradun Smart City: what the CAG audit tabled in 2026 found

The CAG's audit of Dehradun's Smart City work was tabled in the Uttarakhand assembly on 10 March 2026. It found delays, idle equipment and payment lapses, along with some gains.

What happened

The report. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) sent its performance audit of the Smart Cities Mission in Dehradun (Report No. 5 of 2025) to the state government on 20 November 2025. It was tabled in the assembly on 10 March 2026, according to the CAG's website.

Background from the report. Dehradun was picked for the Smart Cities Mission in June 2017, the only city in Uttarakhand chosen. Dehradun Smart City Limited (DSCL) was set up in September 2017 to run it. The budget was ₹1,000 crore, shared equally between the Centre and the state. The mission was meant to finish by June 2023 and was extended to June 2024. Between 2016-17 and 2022-23, DSCL spent ₹634.11 crore out of ₹737.50 crore released. The audit covered all 22 projects carried out from 2018 to 2023.

What worked. The CAG noted:

better traffic management and handling of public safety incidents through the Doon Integrated Command and Control Centre
support to the city administration from the same centre
successful water supply work, especially the SCADA system for monitoring the network remotely

What did not. Among the findings:

a waste-monitoring module built in March 2022 lay unused until February 2025, which the CAG called unfruitful spending of ₹4.55 crore
e-rickshaws bought for ₹0.90 crore for waste collection sat idle for almost two years
smart classrooms, CCTVs and other equipment worth ₹5.91 crore in three government schools stopped working because the schools could not afford the electricity bills
spending of ₹2.62 crore on environmental sensors and ₹3.24 crore on a multi-utility duct was called wasteful
on the Smart Road project, a uniform carriageway and a dedicated footpath were poorly executed
eight projects ran 19 to 38 months late, mostly because sites were not cleared of obstacles in time
penalties of ₹1.41 crore for delays were not imposed effectively, and ₹19.06 crore of unspent money was not recovered from an implementing agency
irregularities of ₹5.19 crore in payments to the project management consultant, cost escalation of ₹10.34 crore, and ₹2.93 crore of work done without tenders

The CAG also flagged poor coordination between departments, no full-time CEO or finance controller at DSCL, and quality-control lapses. It concluded that the mission's aims had been only partially achieved.

The response. The report made 12 recommendations, including fixing responsibility for wasted money, finishing pending work quickly and getting idle equipment working. At the exit conference, DSCL's management agreed with all 12.

What it means for buyers and tenants in Dehradun

This section is our view.

Some gains are real. The command centre and the water-network monitoring are the parts the CAG found working. The audit credits the command centre with better traffic management, though anyone who drives in Dehradun knows congestion remains.

Do not buy on a brochure. Builders and agents sometimes sell a locality on a smart road or a new utility line. The audit shows that projects in Dehradun can run years late or be built differently from the plan. Before paying extra for a location, walk the road, check the drain and footpath yourself, and ask the Nagar Nigam or the relevant department what is actually finished.

Look at upkeep, not just construction. Several items failed because nobody budgeted to run them. In a housing society, the same question applies: who pays for lifts, generators, solar and sewage treatment after handover? Our guide on checks before you pay for a flat covers maintenance.

Big road projects are a separate story. For the city's larger road plans, see our updates on the Rispana–Bindal elevated road and the Master Plan 2041 draft.

If you want to compare areas by what is on the ground today, our Dehradun localities guide is a good start.

Questions people ask

Is Dehradun's Smart City work finished?

The mission's deadline was extended to June 2024. The CAG audit, covering 2018–23, found eight projects delayed by 19 to 38 months and recommended finishing pending work quickly.

What did the CAG say worked in Dehradun Smart City?

The command and control centre's help with traffic and public safety, and the SCADA monitoring of the water supply network.

Has anyone been held responsible?

The CAG recommended fixing accountability for irregular payments and wasted spending. DSCL management accepted all 12 recommendations, the report says. We found no report of action taken since.

Sources

Want to see what a Dehradun neighbourhood is really like before you rent or buy? Call Neeraj Thapa on +91 98320 03494.