STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The non-completion of many Central government projects on schedule in Assam leads to both time and cost overruns, besides depriving the target beneficiaries of benefits.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division of the Central Government monitors all Central Government projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above. Assam cuts a sorry figure on cost and time overruns in some of the central projects. A recent report of the Division’s ‘450th flash report on Central Sector Projects’ reflected this scenario.
According to the 450th flash report, Assam has 53 ongoing central projects of different ministries costing Rs 150 crore and above. The original cumulative cost of the 53 projects was Rs 55258.35 crore, and now the anticipated cost of these projects is Rs 64137.98 crore, registering 16.07 percent cost overruns. Likewise, the state has many central projects that have already missed their target schedules. According to the report, the range of time overruns for some projects is from three months to 102 months.
The authorities anticipate that the new integrated terminal building at Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Borjhar, Guwahati will complete by March 2025 compared to March 2021; the All India Institute of Medical Science at Changsari in Guwahati by October 2023 compared to May 2021; gas-assisted gravity drainage scheme at Kasomarigaon by July 2024 compared to February 2023; Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Guwahati Railway line (176 km) by March 2026 compared to March 2022; New BG line from Tetelia-Byrnihat (national project) by March 2025 compared to March 2019; four laning from Jorhat-Jhanji by November 2023 compared to August 2023; four laning of National Highway-37 Section between Demow-end of Moran Bypass by July 2024 compared to January 2016; and Tulungia-Jogighopa-Paikan Road Development project by October 2023 compared to December 2022.
The highest time overrun of 102 months is with the four lanes of the National Highway-37 Section between Demow and the end of Moran Bypass. Though the authorities concerned anticipate its completion by November 2023, the current pace of work for this project seems to miss this extended schedule as well.
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