Putting infrastructure development high on the agenda of UPA II, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has identified six big-ticket projects and initiatives — notably the reconstruction plan for Jammu and Kashmir, the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor and the dedicated railway freight corridor — to be put on the fast track.

Barely a month after the UPA government came back in to power, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has swung into action and directed the ministries and departments concerned to come up with “clear-cut milestones” coupled with “actionable time lines” for implementing these “iconic” projects effectively.

The areas identified by the Prime Minister — including the multi-sectoral development programme for minorities, development of land ports, infrastructure development in the north eastern region — was in tune with the government’s plan to accelerate growth and make it socially and regionally more “inclusive and equitable”.

It is learnt that T K A Nair, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, held a meeting with top officials of the ministries and departments associated with these projects to review the progress in their implementation. The ministries were asked to specify how they feel the projects would move forward.

Snce the Prime Minister “feels very strongly” about these initiatives and has accorded them high priority, the role of the PMO would be to explore ways to resolve inter-ministerial issues and to ensure coordination between various stakeholders so that the implementation of these projects are speeded up, sources told The Indian Express.

For instance, the Prime Minister wants the external affairs ministry to be in the loop on the implementation of the $90-million Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor as well as railway freight corridor projects because these involve foreign aid. Besides, the PMO’s role is key in resolving possible issues with states on account of land acquisition for these two mega-infrastructure projects.

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