Secretary of Urban Development Ministry Dr M Ramachandran on Tuesday launched his book An Alternative Approach to Project Planning in Public Works - The Indian Context.

The book, published by Icfai University Press (the publishing house of Icfai Universities), was launched by Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy.

Appreciating Ramachandran’s effort, Reddy said the tradition of bureaucrats writing books should be encouraged.

Later, speaking on government projects, Reddy said one of the reasons why projects “are never completed” was that the government took on more projects than it could execute. “We take up more projects than we have actual funds for or the capacity to carry out — for example the Railways, where so many projects are simply sanctioned,” Reddy said.