50 central projects in Assam report massive time and cost overruns

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: As many as 50 Central Government projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have time and cost overruns due to delays in implementation.

This is according to the report of the Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation as of January 1, 2023. IPMD is mandated to monitor time and cost overruns of central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore or more based on the information provided by the project implementing agencies on the online computerized monitoring system (OCMS).

According to the report, the total of the original costs of the 50 central sector projects was Rs 51777.73 crore, and they escalated to an anticipated cost of Rs 60726.15 crore.

The report also said that 20 of the 50 central sector projects have time overruns. The original cost of these 20 projects was Rs 11713.08 crore, which escalated to an anticipated cost of Rs 15149.52 crore.

The construction of a new integrated terminal building at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati is one of the 50 central sector projects that have abysmal time overruns. The original date of completion of this project was March 2021. The anticipated date of completion of this project is now March 2025 (delayed by 48 months).

The original date of completion of a gas-assisted gravity drainage scheme at Kasomarigaon was February 2023. The anticipated date of completion of this project is July 2024 (delayed by 17 months).

The new BG line from Tetelia to Byrnihat (a national project) was scheduled to be completed by March 2019. Its anticipated date of completion is March 2024 (delayed by 60 months).

The 176-km Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Guwahati Railway Track was scheduled to be completed by March 2022. It is anticipated by March 2025 (delayed by 36 months).

The original date of completion of the four-lane NH-37 section between Demow and the end of Moran Bypass was January 2016. The anticipated date of completion of this project is now July 2024 (delayed by 102 months).

The original date of completion of four lanes of NH-52 from the end of the Biswanath Chariali Bypass to Gohpur was January 2016. The anticipated date of completion of this project is June 2023 (delayed by 89 months).

As many as 1438 central sector projects, each costing Rs 150 crore or more, could not be completed in time in all of India, the report said.

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