New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reviewed eight big-ticket infrastructure projects, involving an investment of over Rs 1 lakh crore, as part of the PRAGATI initiative to speed up development in the country and create more jobs.
The projects include six Metro Projects of urban transport and one project each relating to road connectivity and thermal power that are being implemented across different states and UTs, according to a PMO statement.
The review was part of the 45th edition of PRAGATI, the ICT-based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, involving Centre and state governments.
The Prime Minister stressed that all government officials, both at the Central and State levels, must recognise that project delays not only escalate costs but also hinder the public from receiving the intended benefits.
During the interaction, PM Modi also reviewed public grievances related to the banking & insurance sector. While he noted the reduction in the time taken for disposal, he also emphasised the quality of disposal of the grievances.
Considering more and more cities are coming up with Metro Projects as one of the preferred public transport systems, the Prime Minister advised conducting workshops for experience sharing for cities where projects are under implementation or in the pipeline, to capture the best practices and learnings from experiences.
During the review, the Prime Minister also stressed the importance of timely rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected families during the implementation of projects. He further directed that ease of living for such families should be ensured by providing quality amenities at the new place of rehabilitation.
The PM also reviewed PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. He directed that the capacity of installations of rooftops in the states and UTs should be enhanced by developing a quality vendor ecosystem. He further directed that the time required in the process, starting from demand generation to operationalisation of rooftop solar should be reduced. He also asked states to adopt a saturation approach for villages, towns and cities in a phased manner.
As many as 363 projects having a total cost of Rs 19.12 lakh crore have been reviewed up to the 45th edition of PRAGATI meetings, the statement added.
(IANS)
