Govt to revamp project progress stats

Even as it tries to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects that will help boost growth,the government is also working

Even as it tries to speed up approvals for infrastructure projects that will help boost growth,the government is also working to spruce up its data bank on implementation of core sector projects,that is often marred by huge delays.

The ministry of statistics and programme implementation,which is responsible for the database,plans to appoint three experts to review the statistics and prepare reports on ongoing as well as new infrastructure projects.

The scope of work would include analysis and performance reports of completed and ongoing projects and make observations in the preparation of monthly and quarterly reports, the ministry has said.

The database,that is managed by the infrastructure project monitoring division of the ministry,is used for monitoring the progress of infrastructure projects based on parameters such as time and cost overruns as well as to prepare papers for Cabinet Committees and other inter-ministerial groups.

Typically,it collects statistics on ongoing projects in 14 key sectors such as nuclear energy,petroleum,power,roads and railways and also comes out with periodic reports on the progress of these projects.

But with the reports often seeing delays,the data tends to become outdated and has little use for nodal ministries. While preparing a project proposal that required latest statistics on infrastructure projects,we realised that it was easily available, recalled a senior government official.

Additionally,the experts,who would be hired as consultants to the ministry,would be expected to analyse new infrastructure projects before they are taken up for discussion by the Expenditure Finance Committee or the Public Investment Board.

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This is the latest in a series of measures taken by the government to speed up infrastructure projects. Up-to-date date helps give a better understanding of the situation at hand and possible measures that can be taken up, said another official.

On June 6,finance minister P Chidambaram had announced the setting up of a committee headed by Anil Swarup to help restart 215 major projects that have been stalled for various reasons.

The committee will be a part of the Cabinet Secretariat and will monitor and ensure timely execution of projects approved by the Cabinet Committee on Investments.