NON-COMPLETION
OF PROJECTS
RAJYA SABHA
As per latest available
figures, 541 projects costing Rs.20 crore and above are on the
monitor of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
Out of these, 85 projects are ahead of schedule, 148 projects
are on schedule, 81 projects do not have any definite date of
commissioning, 56 projects do not have a firm completion date
and 171 projects are running behind with respect to their original
approved schedule. The cost of 171 delayed projects has increased
from Rs.50,119 crore to Rs.78,685.5 crore.
As a result of effective
monitoring, facilitation measures taken and system improvements
brought about by the Government, the cost overrun of projects
with reference to the originally approved cost has come down from
62% in March 1991 to 23.6% in June 2002. The cost overrun
with respect to latest approved cost is only 10.6%. The
incidence of time overrun has also registered a significant reduction.
The remedial measures taken for timely completion of projects
and minimisation of cost overruns include:
(i) Review of projects
on monthly as well as quarterly basis by the Government to
identify the constraints and to resolve the problems affecting
the implementation of projects;
(ii) In-depth critical
review of the progress by the project authorities and the Administrative
Ministries and follow up with the State Governments, equipment
manufacturers, contractors, consultants and other agencies concerned
to minimise delays;
(iii) Coordination
for resolving problems of inter-ministerial nature;
(iv)Appointment of
a nodal officer for each project co-terminous with the duration
of the project;
(v) Setting up
of an Empowered Committee in the administrative ministries concerned
for resolution of problems;
(vi) Yearly updating
project costs to tie up fund requirements; and
(vii) Providing matching
funds for expeditious completion of projects in advanced stages
of implementation.
This information
was given in the Rajya Sabha today by Minister of State for Statistics
& Programme Implementation shri Vijay Goel in the reply to
a question by Shri Janeshwar Mishra.
