An Urgent Letter to the President
Posted : August 28, 2004 at 7:42 pm [IST]
Sub: Broken Promises- NHAI and GQ
Respected Sir,
An article ‘Golden Quadrilateral slips into the slow lane’ in Indian Express of August 21 issue really upset me and raised many questions in my mind. How can a project of national importance be allowed to slip behind in this manner? The clauses of penalty for delays and incentive for early completion were built-in in contracts and marketed. The whole of media, intelligentsias as well as opposition were having very high opinion about the success of the project under implementation. NHAI claimed in media that they are building 11 km of roads every day. What all has changed after the new government has taken over? After all the execution is being carried out by technocrats of the NHAI that do not get changed with government.
How can ministers go on changing the dates of completion according to their sweet will? Instead of finding out the ways and means to make up the delays, they come out with excuses and get into blame game. From Dec 2004, the date of completion of GQ was changed first to March 2005 and now the present incumbent in the chair pushes the deadline for “substantial completion” by nine months to December 2005. Surprisingly, NHAI is putting forward many excuses such as nonperformance of contractors which it claimed earlier as capable enough for world class construction work. Why should it take so much time in finding out the nonperformance of the contractors? Why could not they do that in time to makeup the loss of time?
NHAI has as I understand has terminated two contractors and put 15 others on notice. Is it the end of their responsibility? Further, the Parliament’s Standing committee headed by Great Nilotpal Basu (CPM) has found it necessary to revise the outlay of the project from initial Rs 54,000 crore (1999) to Rs 65,000 crore. Mr. Basu smells now some serious miscalculations and lack of sufficient home work. I think he is pointing to former minister Khanduri. Should not the committee also suggest the ways and means to bring in more resources, to expedite the work and to do everything to achieve the schedule of completion in time? The benefits from the project are not something unknown to the members of standing committee, MPs or even the minister.
It is a shame if the country can’t complete these road projects in time that should in no case should be more than 3 years. And technically, it is possible. If other developing countries can do it why can’t India? For NHAI’s GQ and NS-EW corridor projects, the total of roads to be built is 13,146km. Some 2808 km of the road s are already completed. Only 9,470 km of roads are remaining to be completed out of which work is under progress on 3233 km. For completing 9,470 km, it should not take more than three years, if NHAI was realistically claiming its speed of work at 11 km per day. As now the PMO rather PM is heading the monitoring of these infrastructure projects, why should it not be completed in three years? Project heads must also talk of the productivity of the work being done and improve it. So far productivity is concerned, we Indians are at the bottom. I suggest and request to the government to depute and involve younger members- Shachin Pilot, Sindhia, Jiten Prasad, Sandip Dixit with very good qualifications and seemingly beaming with a lot of enthusiasm to do something- to the project monitoring and implementation programme with some clear responsibility. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi should also agree to this proposal.
I can assure that NDA might have lost the last election but the present government can win the next if the all the pending projects of roads, power, and irrigations are completed in next three years. With the road and power connectivity for all the villages, no one can stop the growth of GDP. Once India achieves a growth rate of 10-12%, the relations with Pakistan, China and USA will automatically improve. Every one respects a strong and prosperous friend.
Sir, I only hope you along with many things will give a boost to the implementation of these projects of national importance.
CC: PMO
- Indra
Category: Government Policy/Administration |
Leave a Comment