Lok Sabha Question No. 419 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Infrastructure Projects
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Nisith Pramanik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *419

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2021

## INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

## *419.     SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR: SHRI NISITH PRAMANIK:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  his Ministry monitors Central Sector Infrastructure Projects costing upto Rs. 150 crore through Online Computerized Monitoring System (OCMS) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  lack  of  policy  framework  for  project  management results in time and cost overrun of projects;
- (c) if so, the details thereof including the details of pending projects and the consequent increase in their cost;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  fixed  a  five-year  deadline  for completing all pending projects and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  there  is  a  need  for  setting  up  a  project  management office structure, institutionalising a project management maturity framework and making project management training mandatory for personnel deployed on large scale projects; and
- (f)
- if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  PLANNING [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

- (a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (A)  TO  (F)  OF  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *419 FOR ANSWER ON 24.03.2021 BY SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR AND SHRI NISITH PRAMANIK REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

- (a) The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation compiles  data  on  time  and  cost  overruns  of  on-going  Central  Sector Infrastructure Projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above, on the basis of  information provided by the project implementing agencies on the On-line  Computerized  Monitoring  System  (OCMS).  As  on  01.03.2021, total 1736 central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs. 150 crores and above are on the monitor of OCMS of this Ministry. Of these, 547 projects  are  showing  time  overruns,  449  projects  are  showing  cost overruns  and  208  projects  are  showing  both  time  and  cost  overruns with respect to their original project implementation schedules.
- (b)    No Sir.
- (c)   The  country  has  robust  policy  and  monitoring  framework  for execution  of  central  sector  infrastructure  projects  to  ensure  that these  projects  are  completed  within  scheduled  time  and  costs.  The concerned nodal infrastructure ministries are responsible for implementation  of  their  projects  in  collaboration  with  States  /  UTs where  these  projects  are  being  implemented.  The  reasons  for  time overruns  and  cost  overruns  are  project  specific  and  depend  upon variety of technical, financial, administrative and other factors.

As mentioned in part (a) of the reply, 547 delayed projects out of 1736 costing Rs. 150 crores and above are showing cost overruns of Rs. 291014.58 crore.

- (d)    No Sir.
- (e)  &  (f)  The  Government  has  following  institutional  mechanisms  for successful  management  and  completion  of  projects  within  approved implementation schedule.
- (i) Pro-Active  Governance  and  Timely  Implementation  (PRAGATI): The  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  of  India  chairs  monthly  PRAGATI meetings with Secretaries of the concerned Ministries / Department implementing the projects and Chief Secretaries of the concerned State / UTs. The respective ministries are proactively facilitating Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to speed  up and resolve all critical inter-state and interministerial issues through PRAGATI for better results.
- (ii) On-line  Computerized  Monitoring  System  (OCMS):  Monitoring  of on-going  Central  Sector  Infrastructure  Projects  costing  Rs.  150 crore  and  above  on  time  and  cost  overruns,  on  the  basis  of information  provided  by  the  project  implementing  agencies  on the  On-line  Computerized  Monitoring  System  (OCMS)  of  this Ministry.
- (iii) Investment orientated public and private projects facing bottlenecks  are  being  facilitated  through  Project  Monitoring Invest-India Cell (PMIC) constituted under Department for Promotion  of  Industry  and  Internal  Trade  (DPIIT),  Ministry  of Commerce.
- (iv) The  individual  Ministry  /  Department  implementing  the  projects also conduct intensive review and monitoring of projects through periodic  meetings  at  the  level  of  respective  Hon'ble  Ministers, Secretary  and  other  senior officers to ensure  projects are completed within scheduled time and costs.
- (v) Periodic review by Central Sector Projects Coordination Committees (CSPCCs) in the States under the Chief Secretaries for removal of bottlenecks and for facilitating the  speedy implementation of projects.

The concerned  Ministries / Projects implementing  agencies provide for appropriate Project Management  units as per their requirement.   Training is also provided as per need by them.

*****