Goyal reviews fast track implementation of infra projects via PMG portal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has directed the officers concerned to hold regular meetings with state governments and central ministries to ensure timely resolution of issues for the implementation of infrastructure projects.

He said this while reviewing the pace of the implementation of infrastructure projects being monitored through the PMG (Project Monitoring Group) portal and called for a need to address the issues being faced by implementing agencies to ensure their timely completion.

The PMG is an institutional mechanism to facilitate the resolution of bottlenecks in infrastructure projects with investments upward of Rs 500 crore.

Currently, PMG is monitoring 1,351 under-implementation projects with a total anticipated investment of about Rs 48.94 lakh crore.

Projects of infrastructure ministries such as road, transport and highways; railways; petroleum and natural gas; new and renewable energy; and power are listed on the portal.

The PMG mechanism allows project proponents to raise issues with the government agencies concerned, which are causing hindrances in the implementation of projects, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Issues raised on the PMG portal pertain primarily to land acquisition (about 40 per cent); grant of the right of use/ right of way (25 per cent); and forest, environment and wildlife clearances (14 per cent).

Once enlisted on the portal, the projects and corresponding issues are taken up for resolution through meetings with state governments and central ministries.

The commerce and industry minister has been closely monitoring activities on the PMG portal and conducted a review of select projects in June 2021.

"Since April 1, 2021, 687 projects with a value of Rs 17.9 lakh crore have been brought on PMG for monitoring and timely completion, thereby bringing the total projects enlisted on PMG since inception to 1,726 projects," it added.