Many central projects have faced time and cost over-runs

Many central projects have faced time and cost over-runs

Lucknow,November 30(HS)Time is money.This old saying has held no significance for not all but many officials across the country.At least this is what appears to be true after going through reports of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation which monitors central projects.

The result is that many government projects have been delayed and there has been huge cost over-runs.It has happened in cases of railway as well as power and road projects,three vital areas.

It is hard to stomach but it is a fact that there has been 132 per cent cost escalation till the end of last year in some railway projects.It is criminal but,as always,some excuse or the other has been given and no deterrent action has been taken against any official so far.

The government had to spent additional 2.21 lakh crores due to the delay in implementation of these projects which could have been gainfully utilised else where.

Some delay had been caused due to late acquisition of land.There is a need,therefore, for a better land and labour policies.Changes may accelerate economic growth which has fallen down to below five per cent in last quarter.

It is not that only railway projects have suffered delays.More then 50 per cent of power projects had time over-run of two to 147 months.As many as 95 power projects were taken up a few years ago out of which 56 were delayed in completion.Some of them were completed more than 10 years after the deadline fixed for them.

Additional infrastructure creation is the need of the hour.Additional roads have to be constructed and connectivity improved for better marketing of rural products.

But out of over 600 projects monitored by the Ministry more than 400 had been delayed.The delay in some cases was enormous.

The country needs more money for developmental schemes.It means the money available should be utilised properly.Spending more time than fixed for implementation increases cost of the pradministratpmuch attention has not been paid to it.

As a result instead of Rs 29,000 crores as much as Rs 44,000 crores had to be spent on road projects.Had Rs 15,000 been saved several new schemes would have come up.