RAJYA SABHA
In its Report No. 7 of 2005 presented to the Parliament on 11 May 2005, the CAG has commented upon delay in execution of projects on the Golden Quadrilateral.
Some of the highlights of the C&AG observations in this regard are:
· There was no corporate plan to implement such a large project.
· Deficient planning and inefficient contract management by the design and project consultants contributed to under performance in achievement of the target.
The actions taken by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)/Government to expedite implementation of National Highways Development Project (NHDP) are as under:
· A Committee of Secretaries has been constituted to address inter-ministerial and Central States issues such as land acquisition, utility shifting, environment approvals, clearance of Road overbridges etc.
· State Government has appointed Senior Officers as nodal officers for resolving problems associated with implementation of the National Highways Development Project such as land acquisition, removal of utilities, forest/pollution/environment clearances etc.
· Process of issue of land acquisition notifications has been streamlined.
· To expedite the construction of Road over bridges, an officer of the Railways has been posted to National Highways Authority of India to coordinate with Railways.
· Learning from the past experiences DPR preparation exercise has been streamlined.
· The bid documents have also been standardized with a view to bringing in uniformity and clarity in bidding and contract administration.
· Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being reviewed by experts to ensure that all aspects of the projects are duly covered.
· Wherever the consultants have been found wanting in performance, deterrent action is taken in the form of warning (for minor omission), suspension of short listing with NHAI and debarment for a prescribed period.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Shri K. H. Muniyappa in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
VBA/BS