Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Progress on key infrastructure projects, especially roads, power and railways, has not been satisfactory as more than half the central projects have been delayed, resulting in high costs, says the Economic Survey for fiscal 2010-11 tabled in parliament Friday.Of the 559 central projects costing Rs.150 crore and above, 293 were delayed by up to 36 months as on October 2010, said the survey tabled in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Only 14 projects were running ahead of schedule while 117 were on schedule.

In the road transport and highways sector, 51 projects have reported delays of 1 to 36 months; in the power sector 20 projects have reported delays of 1 to 18 months and in the petroleum sector 16 projects have reported delays of 1 to 16 months, it said.

However, the telecom sector continues to do well and most of the projects in this sector were on schedule.

Other sectors that are above or close to targets are village electrification under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, railway track electrification, railway gauge conversion and new and renewal of road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadhak Yojana.

The switching capacity addition and cellphone connections in the telecommunications sector have increased by 39.7 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Crude oil production has increased by 11.5 percent and natural gas production by 19.8 percent this fiscal. The civil aviation sector has also performed comparatively better than the previous year, both in terms of cargo and passengers handled.

The power and cement sectors have grown at comparatively lower rates. Coal sector growth has been very low at 0.6 percent as against eight percent growth last fiscal. Lower coal sector output has impacted thermal power generation this year.