‘No excuse for non-performance’

There will be no alibi for non-performance in the new UPA government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear that individual ministries and ministers will be accountable for their performance, said union minister M Veerappa Moily.

There will be no alibi for non-performance in the new United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear that individual ministries and ministers will be accountable for their performance, said union minister M. Veerappa Moily.

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Moily’s portfolio has not been announced yet, but the former Karnataka chief minister is expected to get road transport
and highways — a sector the new government wants to focus on.

“Each ministry will have self regulated and time-bound targets for implementation of projects. There will be no relaxation of standards. The prime minister is clear on this,” Moily said.

He said the government will give attention to details of project implementation in each sector.

He said in some cases public investment is spread, too, thin, making little impact on the ground.

“We will focus on projects that need the last mile to be completed and then invest hugely on it,” said Moily.

He said the second approach would be to create infrastructure in excess of current demand.

“In sectors such as power, we will create supply far in excess of demand,” Moily said.

Moily said the Congress’s approach of inclusive growth would mean, both in metaphoric and literal terms taking the benefits of an irrigation project to the last man.

“We have to take the water to the lowest region. To do that, we have to see where the sub-canals are to be constructed and do it fast,” he said.