--- title: "CAG Audit Reveals Widespread Deficiencies in Indian Railways' Basic Amenities" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/cag-audit-finds-indian-railway-stations-deficient-ml3o3 publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Business published: 2026-08-14T15:30:33.787Z modified: 2026-08-14T18:00:07.107Z language: en-IN --- # CAG Audit Reveals Widespread Deficiencies in Indian Railways' Basic Amenities An audit by India's Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that 89% of 512 audited railway stations lack essential amenities. Persistent shortfalls in facilities like fans, water coolers, and sanitation have been highlighted in multiple previous audits. ## Key takeaways - A CAG audit found that 89% of 512 audited Indian railway stations suffer from deficiencies in basic passenger amenities. - Essential facilities such as fans, water coolers, drinking water taps, and sanitation were found to be lacking at a significant number of stations. - The report noted that these issues have been identified in previous CAG audits dating back to 2007, indicating persistent systemic failures. - Delays in project completion and underutilization of allocated funds for passenger amenities were also highlighted as contributing factors. An extensive audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has exposed significant and pervasive shortcomings in passenger amenities and sanitation across Indian Railways. The audit examined 512 stations, identifying deficiencies in at least one essential amenity at 458 of them, representing nearly 89% of the total. ## What Happened The audit, which focused on non-suburban stations handling long-distance passenger traffic, revealed that common issues include a lack of fans, water coolers, drinking water taps, urinals, seating, platform shelters, latrines, and clocks. Only 54 stations, or 11%, were found to be without any shortfalls. The report noted that major railway terminals, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi, and Mumbai Central, were among the stations exhibiting gaps in essential facilities. ## Why It Matters These deficiencies mean that a vast majority of passengers using Indian Railways are not provided with minimum essential amenities. The audit pointed to inadequate monitoring, a lack of time-bound action plans, weak oversight of fund utilization, and inconsistent work prioritization as reasons for these persistent issues. The report also indicated a risk that lower-priority redevelopment works might be prioritized over compliance with mandatory norms for passenger facilities. ## Background The CAG has previously highlighted similar deficiencies in audits conducted in 2007, 2013, and 2016. Despite a Railway Board directive from 2012 mandating platform shelters at specific coach stopping points, this was not met at 379 stations, leaving passengers exposed to weather conditions. Furthermore, a significant portion of passenger amenity works at non-Amrit Bharat stations experienced delays, with 59% of works taking longer than stipulated timelines, further impacting passenger access to facilities. ## Key Facts - An audit of 512 Indian railway stations found 458 (nearly 89%) deficient in one or more essential amenities. - Specific deficiencies include lack of fans (42%), water coolers (40%), drinking water taps (27%), urinals (22%), seating (15%), platform shelters (13%), latrines (12%), and clocks (12%). - Major stations like New Delhi, Mumbai Central, Howrah, and Sealdah were among those with identified shortfalls. - Similar deficiencies were noted in previous CAG audits in 2007, 2013, and 2016. - 59% of passenger amenity works at 325 non-Amrit Bharat stations were delayed by one to over four years. - Budget grants for passenger amenities saw underutilization ranging from 36% to 44% between 2019-20 and 2023-24. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/cag-audit-finds-indian-railway-stations-deficient-ml3o3 Reported from: Multiple Sources