Piyush Goyal Reviews Fast Track Implementation of Infrastructure Projects

Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal reviewed the pace of implementation of infrastructure projects being monitored through the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) portal. Minister emphasized the need to address the issues being faced by implementing agencies on priority to ensure timely completion of projects.

PMG portal of Invest India is a unique institutional mechanism to facilitate resolution of bottlenecks in infrastructure projects with investments upward of ₹ 500 crores and do milestone-based project monitoring of the same. Presently, PMG is monitoring 1,351 under implementation projects with total anticipated investment of approximately INR 48.94 lakh crore. Projects of infrastructure ministries such as Road, Transport and Highways; Railways; Petroleum and Natural Gas; New and Renewable Energy; Power; etc are listed on the portal. The PMG mechanism allows project proponents to raise issues with concerned government agencies which are causing hindrances in implementation of projects.

Issues raised on PMG portal pertain primarily to land acquisition (about 40%); grant of right of use/ right of way (25%); and forest, environment and wildlife clearances (14%). In 2021, PMG also incorporated milestone based monitoring of projects. This feature will allow for forecasting delays in projects to avoid time and cost overruns and identify agencies and authorities responsible for delays. Once enlisted on PMG, the projects and corresponding issues are taken up for resolution through meetings with State Governments and Central Ministries. The portal provides for seamless flow of information as all stakeholders concerned with a project have access to the portal and through regular updates and meetings, issues are addressed in a timebound manner.

To give impetus to the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Commerce and Industry Minister has been closely monitoring activities on PMG portal and conducted a review of select projects in June 2021. Under the Minister’s guidance, since 01.04.2021, 687 projects with a value of INR 17.9 lakh crore have been brought on PMG for monitoring and timely completion, thereby bringing the total projects enlisted on PMG since inception to 1,726 projects.

In yesterday’s review meeting, Shri Piyush Goyal directed that regular meeting be held with State Governments and Central Ministries to ensure timely resolution of issues. Since 01.04.2021, 389 issues have been resolved and 22 meetings have been conducted with Central Ministries and State Governments by DPIIT. It is noteworthy that through the PMG mechanism there has been an increased level of coordination among Central Ministries, State Governments and implementing agencies to ensure timely completion of large-scale infrastructure projects.