NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed that delays in infrastructure projects have implications beyond cost escalation, as they also defer the benefits intended for citizens, businesses and the wider economy.
Chairing the 53rd meeting of PRAGATI, the ICT-enabled, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, at the PMO, the Prime Minister said infrastructure projects should be viewed and monitored as an integrated whole rather than as individual sections, stretches or packages.
He emphasised that progress in individual packages must ultimately translate into the timely completion and operationalisation of the entire project. The ministries and states were therefore urged to adopt an end-to-end approach and address critical gaps that could delay overall commissioning and the delivery of benefits.
The Prime Minister also called for a proactive work culture across Ministries and State Governments, with greater ownership at every level of project implementation.
During the meeting, Modi reviewed six major infrastructure projects in the Railway, Road and Power sectors, covering nine States and involving a cumulative cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore. The projects are considered important for strengthening connectivity, supporting industrial and economic activity and improving public services.
The review focused on adherence to timelines, inter-agency coordination, resolving pending issues and ensuring the expeditious completion of the projects.
Modi also stressed the need to explore common utility corridors for infrastructure services wherever feasible, particularly during the planning of major transport and infrastructure projects.
He called on Ministries and States to consider such integrated approaches at the planning stage itself, taking into account their technical and economic feasibility.
According to a PMO statement, the Prime Minister said that speed of execution must be accompanied by uncompromising quality. He urged Ministries, States and implementing agencies to adopt modern technologies and strengthen quality assurance and supervision at every stage.
While reviewing AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, Modi highlighted the need to harness the latest digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to extract greater value from agricultural data.
He said the data ecosystem should be effectively used across the agricultural value chain, from input planning to processing, to enable more informed interventions, better targeting and data-driven decision-making.
The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of the States and the Central Government in developing the AgriStack ecosystem and called for further strengthening its use to deliver better outcomes for farmers.
During the review of cyber fraud cases, including incidents involving digital arrest, Modi said prevention must be strengthened through sustained efforts in training, awareness and education.
He called for continuous and targeted public-awareness campaigns, particularly aimed at senior citizens, young people and other vulnerable groups, to help them recognise common fraud techniques, identify warning signs and follow safe digital practices.
He also stressed the importance of regular capacity-building for personnel dealing with cyber fraud so that emerging methods of fraud can be identified and addressed swiftly.