Moneylife News Bites

India's Ghost Projects: Empty Stations, Airports & Schools


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A ₹6 crore railway station that hasn't seen a single train in nearly three years. Empty airports. Phantom schools. Idle hospitals. Ghost employees.


Is India building infrastructure for citizens—or for headlines?


In this audio, senior journalist Sucheta Dalal examines the growing phenomenon of "ghost infrastructure"—public assets that are inaugurated with great fanfare but remain unused, abandoned or grossly underutilised.


From the mysterious Nishatpura railway station in Bhopal to loss-making transport projects, abandoned schools, idle airports under the UDAN scheme, unused hospitals and digital ghost beneficiaries, this investigation asks a simple question:


Why are taxpayers paying for projects that fail to serve the public?


Drawing on CAG audit reports, official data and documented examples from across India, this video explores:

- The ₹6 crore ghost railway station

- The Mumbai Monorail's continuing losses

- Ghost schools and empty classrooms

- Idle hospitals despite overcrowded patients

- Ghost airports under the UDAN scheme

- Phantom government employees and welfare leakages

- Why announcements often matter more than outcomes

- What accountability is needed before India can achieve Viksit Bharat 2047


This is not merely a story about wasted money—it is about governance, accountability and the public trust.

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Moneylife News BitesBy Debashis Basu & Sucheta Dalal