eGovWatch: Infrastructure ministries to give details of projects online

Amid concerns from the PMO over time and cost overrun in completion of big-ticket investment projects, the infrastructure ministries, including coal, have been asked to upload details of every project costing over Rs 150 crore on the Online Computerised Monitoring System (OCMS).

The decision on the same was taken recently during the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth to review the projects of seven infrastructure ministries costing Rs 1,000 crore and above, according to the minutes of the meeting.

“The meeting was held in the background of concern expressed by Prime Minister Office (PMO) on time and cost overrun in the completion of projects…After detailed discussions it was decided that all ministries/departments should upload details of every project costing more than Rs 150 crore in OCMS,” the minutes of the meeting said.

The progress would be updated by the ministries once every month without failure, it said.

It was also decided that Secretaries of ministries, including coal, power, shipping and steel, would conduct monthly review meetings of projects with special emphasis on time and cost overrun.

“OCMS should be used as the basis for these reviews,” it said.

It was also decided during the meeting that the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation would examine the feasibility of incorporating features of the PMG (Project Monitoring Group) software in OCMS.

Moreover, the financial advisors of ministries would be more closely involved in the process of project review and monitoring.

The meeting was told that all the ministries have been provided access to database to upload information about their projects and to update progress from time to time.

Other than Ministry of Railways, seven infrastructure ministries i.e. coal, petroleum and natural gas, power, road transport and highways, shipping, steel and urban development have the largest number of projects costing more than Rs 150 crore.

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