To push development works, quarterly targets have been fixed for the first time for various ministries and projects would be monitored at three levels, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said on Sunday.
“For the first time, we have set quarterly targets for all the ministries involved in development projects and the reports will be monitored and discussed at three levels, including the PMO,” he said.
Targets have been fixed, especially in the areas of transport, energy and infrastructure, he added.
“Three would be three phases to monitor the progress of development projects — at the Planning Commission, the ministry level and overall monitoring will be done in the PMO,” Ahluwalia, who was on a private visit, told reporters.
He said infrastructure development projects are delayed due to of unavailability of clearance from various ministries. He also asserted that several effective steps are being taken to improve the economy which is in “some difficulties.”
If there is a problem or a bottleneck, the PMO will ask the concerned secretaries to resolve the issue, he said.
In reply to a question, Ahluwalia said 5.3 percent economic growth in the last quarter of the previous fiscal is bad. A further fall in this figure would be worse, he added. He said the GDP figure of 9 percent was not realistic. “We can go back to 6.5 percent GDP soon.”