Cut time for making DPRs for infra schemes: Pranab

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said efforts should be made to reduce the time period for preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) to expedite implementation of infrastructure sector schemes, especially in the road sector.

"If we say that building 20 km of roads daily is our target, then an annual target of constructing 20,000 km of roads should be in place for that. However preparation of project reports itself takes 12 to 14 months. This needs to be rectified, though some improvement has been there," he said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

Regretting that there is a big gap between conceptualisation and implementation of infrastructure projects, Mukherjee said, "The situation has improved after formation of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister...Slips are still there".

He also said it would not be possible to reach the target of achieving 78,000 Mw generation of electricity in the Plan period, as the mid-term appraisal for the sector is not final. Though the target has been lowered, it would be fulfilled only after completion of mid-term appraisal, he added.

On the oil sector, the minister said that Centre cannot spend its limited resources in exploring wells, this has to be done by private parties, which are given licences after their credentials are verified.