Slow progress in infrastructure projects
Friday, 26 October 2007, 19:30 IST
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New Delhi: Expressing concern over the slow advancement of infrastructure projects in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday directed an experts committee to speed up progress in power, roads, ports, telecom and railway sectors. The prime minister was reviewing the implementation of various programmes initiated by his government under the National Common Minimum Programme at a meeting with secretaries of relevant ministries and officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). A release issued by the PMO said the other issues discussed included implementation of the recommendations of the Radhakrishna Committee on agricultural indebtedness, Vaidyanathan Committee Report on cooperative sector and the Sachar Committee Report on empowerment of minorities. Early this week, while addressing a meeting of members of the board of management consulting firm McKinsey, Manmohan Singh had said that to accelerate the tempo of social and economic development, state governments had to realise the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead and specifically referred to inter-regional disparities in development. He said the growth rate in certain states was over 10 percent while it was under 3 percent in other parts of India. The prime minister also reviewed implementation of the mid-day meal scheme, the integrated child development scheme, revamping of the public distribution system, implementation of social security initiatives of the government like old age pension and health insurance schemes for disabled persons. He also took stock of the schemes in the education sector, including announcements made in his Independence Day address this year. In fact, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's multi-media advertising blitz for its flagship Bharat Nirman programme is expected to be completed next week which aims to publicise the work of the government's initiatives in agriculture, rural development, education, infrastructure and healthcare.
Source: IANS
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