Stick to timelines, check projects online: PM tells infra ministries

In a brief to infrastructure sectors on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the respective ministries to strictly adhere to timelines set for big ticket projects and monitor the progress of work completed online.

In a brief to infrastructure sectors on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the respective ministries to strictly adhere to timelines set for big ticket projects and monitor the progress of work completed online.

The PM reviewed the progress of eight key infrastructure sectors, including civil aviation, ports and inland waterways, railways, roads, telecom, power, coal, and new and renewable energy.

Emphasizing on the importance of monitoring progress of infrastructure development through efficiency parameters that have been identified for each of the sectors, Modi directed ministries to do so on electronic reporting formats.

Initiatives undertaken by state governments as well as PSUs with other countries — including SAARC countries — should also be taken into account while monitoring progress, he said.

Reviewing the progress of the highways ministry, the PM stressed the need for adhering to timelines for both awarding and completing road projects.

On the power sector, Modi is understood to have further emphasized on the importance of solar and wind projects in the overall energy basket, where the share of renewable power stood at a mere 32,000 MW as against India’s total installed power capacity of 2,50,00 MW.

With the government already clearing 100 % FDI in railways, Modi directed the rail ministry to come up with a comprehensive plan for facilitating foreign investment in the sector.

On the shipping ministry’s ambitious Sagarmala project, the PM said it should lead to port development and become a major element for his “Make in India” vision.

The ministry told him that it would come up with a plan for the project within a month.