NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Panel has expressed displeasure over the delay in necessary approval for the road projects in the Northeast by the Centre.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, in its report of the demand for grants of the Ministry of Development of Northeast Region, said that under the programme component of the North East Road Sector Development Scheme, no fund has been utilised because all the projects are pending at the stage of preparation of detailed project report.
The Committee found that the procedural delay in approval of the projects arises due to the requirement of third-party evaluation and also because the Ministry held the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) meeting as late as in the month of December 2017.
The report highlighted that the panel was given to understand that the funds can be allocated and utilised only after the approval of the projects.
“The Ministry assumed that the funds would be utilised by transferring the amount to the implementing agencies during 2017-18 and 2018-19. The Committee finds the implementation of the programme will be unsatisfactory unless the projects are approved on time,” it observed.
Flagging procedural flaws, the Committee found it difficult to understand that the ministry expects to implement the project merely by transferring the funds when the projects have not been even granted approval by the Ministry.
The North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) contains three road projects being implemented by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) that is to be completed by September 2018. Besides, 15 more road projects and two bridge projects are at the preparation of DPR stage.
Under externally aided projects, there are road projects worth Rs 1400 crore that have to be completed by March 2020.
“The Committee, keeping in view the closure of all projects by March 2020, strongly recommends that every effort must be made to execute the projects undertaken without any time and cost overruns,” it added."
Three roads were identified and entrusted to NHIDCL for implementation by 2018 under NERSD scheme.