New Delhi: The country may see a spurt in major infrastructure projects. That is if the Prime minister has his way with the setting up of the high-powered Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure. As the head of the new committee, Singh will now oversee and fast-track investment in key ministries like roads, shipping, power and railways.
PM'S INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH
- Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure to clear, monitor projects worth over Rs 150 crore
- Committee includes key allies
- All infrastructure projects worth over 150 crore rupees will be cleared and monitored by the committee
- 12 key ministries will be part of the committee. That includes allies like Mamata Banerjee, A Raja and Farooq Abdullah in an attempt to make decisions more inclusive and accountable.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs that was till now handling clearances of investments in infrastructure will now look at projects other then investment.
Says Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh: "This is a good measure and is a fulfillment of promises we had made in the election manifesto."
Unlike the last term of the UPA, the Prime minister knows he has to deliver on promises on infrastructure, on roads and power, and by taking direct control he is hoping to accelerate the pace.
Take highways for example. In the last five years, road and highway building crawled under the DMK's T R Baalu. But coalition politics meant there was little room to manouvre.
But now with a bigger mandate and an ambitious target of adding 20 kilometers of new roads every day, the PM is taking charge of infrastructure.