As per MoSPI, of the 720 central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above, 295 projects are delayed
Delays in major infrastructure projects of various ministries worth Rs 9.27 lakh crore led to a cost escalation of 19.10% amounting to a whopping Rs 1.77 lakh crore, as per information from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
This was revealed by Union Cabinet secretary Ajit Seth in a letter written to various ministries and department secretaries, where he states that of 720 central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above, 295 projects were delayed with "reference to the original schedule".
"According to information compiled by ministry of statistics and programme implementation, of 720 central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above, 295 projects are delayed with reference to the original schedule. The total cost of implementation of these projects has seen an increase of 19.10% over the original cost of Rs 9.27 lakh crore," he wrote in his note to the bureaucrats.
Raising an alarm over the massive cost that is being borne by the government due to projects not being implemented on time, Seth has called on all ministries to ensure their timely implementation and take "disciplinary action against those held to be responsible for the delay".
"The government has taken serious note of time and cost overrun in projects. It has been observed that lack of detailed project planning and slackness in periodical review of progress are often responsible for this undesirable situation," chided the Cabinet secretary. He has asked the government officials to review these projects at regular intervals and check delays to prevent cost overruns.
"It is important that secretaries of ministries and departments conduct monthly meeting for in depth review of all projects with special emphasis on those with time overrun exceeding six months and cost overruns exceeding Rs 100 crore. Measures of corrective action should be identified in these meeting and besides fixing responsibility for time and cost overrun and initiation of disciplinary action against those held to be responsible for the delay," he wrote to all bureaucrats. Seth has asked all of them to update milestone of projects on the MoSPI's online monitoring system for projects worth Rs 150 crore and above every month.
"You are requested to use this database for your monthly review of projects for time and cost overrun and MoSPI should be kept apprised," he wrote in his letter.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}