The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sheila rejects proposal to set up Infrastructure Corporation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 12, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sheila rejects proposal to set up Infrastructure Corporation

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 11. Upset with the unprofessional approach of the Public Works Department, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is understood to have rejected the proposal to set up an "Infrastructure Development Corporation'' for construction of new projects and maintenance of new and old roads, terming the whole thing as unfeasible and unimaginative.

"I have told them that the proposal in its present form was unacceptable. The PWD has not done its homework properly. It does not know what it wants. I just cannot create a white elephant that will burden us financially as also manpower-wise. This is a totally unprofessional and unimaginative approach lacking in vision and purpose,'' Ms. Dikshit said.

Ms. Dikshit said the PWD was already undertaking construction of various infrastructure projects as well as maintenance of old roads and construction of new ones. Then there are other agencies involved in construction of roads and building of flyovers, buildings and other related projects. "What is the need to have another Corporation that will perform the role of PWD and other agencies,'' she asked.

"The PWD should work out the economics, re-think what it wants and then come back to me. There is no justification for having such Corporation in place.''

What appears to have upset the Chief Minister is that the PWD and other related departments were not clear about the proposal. She said the Delhi Government has the Delhi State Industrial Development Corporation and the Delhi Transportation and Tourism Development Corporation that could take up the responsibility of infrastructure projects and also building of roads along with the PWD.

It was also not clear as to what would happen if the Government wanted to take up government-private partnership in execution of such projects. There was no clarity on what would happen if the Government decided to hand over major infrastructure projects on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis in the Capital.

Unhappy with the manner in which the PWD has been going ahead with various projects, Ms. Dikshit said there was an urgent need to outsource various infrastructure projects including construction of school buildings in order to expedite the developmental process.

"The PWD's track record has been very poor on this front and it has delayed projects for years that have failed to serve the purpose and requirement by the time they come up.''

"Instead of trying to come up with the idea of floating a new Corporation, the PWD should work to bring administrative reforms within the department. If they are short of engineers, then they could recruit some. They do not have to float a new set-up for this purpose. There is an urgent need to amend various outdated rules and regulations that hamper the beginning of a new project. I am told it takes around 18 months for various clearances and formalities before the project actually takes off. This is an area that should be addressed,'' the Chief Minister said.

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