The Planning Commission has come up with a great new idea of making the infrastructure sector progress information available online. Now anyone with an internet connection can see how the different infrastructure ministries are faring with respect to their targets.
This is awesome transparency and as time goes by – this site will have data ranging for multiple years, and we’d be able to compare the progress made under different governments and ministers.
I took a look at some of the data available on the Monitorable Targets and Milestones for 2010 – 11 website, and compile this graph here.
For this post, let me share the graph on road completion for the year 2009 – 10 with you. This has targets vs. actuals, and is broken down according to the various phases of National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
A quick scan of the graph shows you that apart from NHDP V, no phase could meet its targets. It also shows you the relative size of the various phases.
Here is a description of the various phases found on the NHAI website:
NHDP Phase I : NHDP Phase I was approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in December 2000 at an estimated cost of Rs.30,000 crore comprises mostly of GQ (5,846 km) and NS-EW Corridor (981km), port connectivity (356 km) and others (315 km). GQ is Golden Quadrilateral.
NHDP Phase II : NHDP Phase II was approved by CCEA in December 2003 at an estimated cost of Rs.34,339 crore (2002 prices) comprises mostly NS-EW Corridor (6,161 km) and other National Highways of 486 km length, the total length being 6,647 km. The total length of Phase II is 6,647 km.
NHDP Phase-III: Government approved on 5.3.2005 upgradation and 4 laning of 4,035 km of National Highways on BOT basis at an estimated cost of Rs. 22,207 crores (2004 prices). Government approved in April 2007 upgradation and 4 laning at 8074 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 54,339 crore.
NHDP Phase V: CCEA has approved on 5.10.2006 six laning of 6,500 km of existing 4 lane highways under NHDP Phase V (on DBFO basis). Six laning of 6,500 km includes 5,700 km of GQ and other stretches.
NHDP Phase VI: CCEA has approved on November 2006 for 1000 km of expressways at an estimated cost of Rs. 16680 crs .
NHDP Phase VII: CCEA has approved on December 2007 for 700 km of Ring Roads, Bypasses and flyovers and selected stretches at an estimated cost of Rs. 16680 crs .
These numbers may or may not please you, but the transparency that this process brings in is surely fantastic. I hope the mainstream media takes notice of this and these measures become actively targeted so that we know how effective various departments and ministries have been in implementing their plans.
