In the heart of Naya Raipur, a glimmering skywalk towers over empty streets—silent, unused, and emblematic of what critics are calling a ₹900 crore governance failure. This single structure, reportedly costing crores, was envisioned as a modern urban amenity. Instead, it has become a haven for miscreants and a safety hazard for women.
This is not an isolated case. A ₹100 crore mall, the CBD Mall, has remained shut since 2019. A ₹10 crore bus stand has been gathering dust for eight years. An ₹8 crore hospital intended to serve economically vulnerable populations is still not operational. Across the state, public infrastructure meant to serve people has been reduced to hollow facades.
Locals are disillusioned. “This skywalk is a waste. It’s not useful at all,” said one resident. “It’s unsafe and has become an adda for goons.” The sense of abandonment isn’t just physical—it’s also emotional, a sense that government priorities have failed to reflect public needs.
₹1,000 Crore Vanished: Allegations of Corruption and Graft
According to data and ground-level reports by India Today, over ₹1,000 crore has been spent in the past decade on luxury infrastructure—skywalks, malls, ministerial bungalows, auditoriums—much of which remains incomplete, unused, or locked away.
RTI activist Rakesh Chaubey called the skywalks “vanity projects,” stating, “There was no need for such structures. A simple footbridge would have solved the congestion problem. But funds were siphoned off into glitzy but useless construction.”
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These projects were ostensibly initiated for public benefit. However, a network of inefficiency, opaque tendering processes, and allegedly complicit contractors and politicians have ensured the projects turned into revenue sinks instead of revenue generators. Locals accuse politicians of using these projects as money pipelines, enriching a few at the cost of many.
Blame Game in the Corridors of Power
As the decaying infrastructure continues to haunt the state’s skyline, political parties have started trading accusations. Congress spokesperson Amit Srivastava blamed the previous BJP government, saying, “These projects were initiated under BJP rule, which focused more on appearances than actual development.”
Countering this, Chhattisgarh PWD Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said, “The Congress has been in power for several years now. If these projects were faulty, why haven’t they fixed them instead of pointing fingers?”
Meanwhile, footage from tribal and remote areas in the state paints a grim contrast—children walking miles for potable water, patients waiting outside crumbling health centers, and students studying in broken-down classrooms. The juxtaposition is damning.
What began as ambitious development now resembles a series of silent monuments—ghost buildings that reflect not progress but paralysis. Urban planners assert that most of these projects were never based on realistic assessments of public needs, and now, citizens are paying the price.
In a state where basic necessities are still a luxury for many, these deserted infrastructures are more than urban failures—they are moral ones. As locals wait for justice, utility, or even demolition, the ₹900 crore question remains: who will be held accountable for this colossal waste?