NEW DELHI: PM Modi has told top bureaucrats and state chief secretaries to find ways to fix delays in infrastructure projects rather than wait for him to review and fix accountability for delays.Chairing the web-based Pragati meeting on Wednesday, Modi asked if any disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against erring officials, sources said. “In almost every Pragati meeting, the PM urges us to ensure timely completion of projects and fix responsibility. He has also suggested states to have a review mechanism like those of ‘Pragati’ to monitor and resolve issues,” said an official. Adopt an approach that advances goals of ease of living, ease of doing business: PM Modi During Pragati meeting, TOI learnt, Cabinet Secretary T V Somananthan presented a progress report on steps taken by Centre and states to expedite projects delayed by decades, including the 83-km Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian new railway line in Punjab and North Koel Reservoir project in Bihar and Jharkhand.PM Narendra Modi had reviewed these projects in the last Pragati meeting of June and had instructed officials to put them on the agenda of Wednesday’s meeting. Each of these has seen delays stretching back decades.”The PM urged officials to work out strategies for better coordination to resolve issues so that there is no delay in project execution,” said an official. “There has been a trend that all officials and agencies concerned expedite all approvals and clearances when any project is included for review at a Pragati meeting. The PM wanted this to be a natural process,” said the official.A statement from PMO said Modi urged officials at both central and state levels to adopt a result-oriented approach, translating opportunities into improved quality of life for people, while also advancing goals of ease of living for citizens and ease of doing business for enterprises.”The PM reiterated that delays in execution impose a double cost – often escalating project expenditure and also depriving citizens of timely access to essential services and infrastructure,” the PMO said. It added that Modi emphasised that states and UTs should also set up a mechanism at their level for regular review and monitoring of flagship projects to resolve bottlenecks and finish projects on time.
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