New Delhi: Seeking to push infrastructure development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his Ministers to electronically monitor the progress of projects and directed the Railways to submit a comprehensive plan for encouraging FDI.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance for monitoring the progress of infrastructure development through efficiency parameters which have been identified for each of the sectors. He said that Ministries should monitor them on electronic reporting formats," an official statement said on Friday.
The instructions followed monthly review of the progress of eight major infrastructure sectors - Civil Aviation, Ports and Inland Waterways, Railways, Roads, Telecom, Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy.
Modi said accelerated infrastructure development was his top priority, and stressed the need for creating world-class infrastructure in India.
Reviewing the progress of the Railways sector, Modi said, "Railways has been granted clearance for 100 percent FDI, and therefore the Railways should come up with a comprehensive plan for facilitating FDI in the sector."
He also stressed that initiatives undertaken by state governments as well as PSUs with other countries, including SAARC nations, should also be taken into account while monitoring the progress of infrastructure sectors.
Reviewing the Shipping Ministry's performance, Modi said Sagarmala project should lead to port-led development, and become a major link element for his "Make in India" vision, which envisaged a quantum jump in India`s global trade.
Modi had said earlier that his government had conceived 'Sagarmala', envisaging not merely port development, but port-led development which would include ports, SEZs, rail, road, air and waterway connectivity with the hinterland, including linkages of cold storage and warehousing facilities.
The PMO has asked the ministry to expedite the project.
Re-emphasising the need to push renewable energy, he called for a solar-powered corridor along the India-Pakistan border, in the desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Two pilot projects of 5 MW each are being initiated for this.
Referring to his vision on solid waste management and waste water management in 500 towns through the PPP model, the Prime Minister said bio-energy would be a vital element of this vision.
Modi also called for provision of world-class utility facilities along new road projects to bring about a paradigm shift in India`s global perception.
"All the sectors broadly reported significant improvement in performance over the last four months, as compared to the previous year," the statement said.
