BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday asked the State Government to complete all ongoing central as well as state projects in time to avoid cost overrun and create employment opportunities among the youths. The PAC advised the State Government to conduct proper survey and investigation and make a realistic assessment of funds required before announcing any project. Inordinate delays in completion of projects, large as well as small, had prompted the Assembly committee convene a meeting to assess the situation. According to sources, government officials attending the meeting maintained that largescale vacancies in posts required for investigation and survey work for the projects is leading to delays in their execution. The State Government assured the committee that 1200 revenue inspectors and amins will be appointed during the next two months to correct the situation. If necessary, the State Government will outsource survey and investigation work for the projects. The officials also said the State Rate Board will be convened soon to go into the issue of unrealistic cost estimates made for the project. Changes will be made in the tender system also. Leader of the Opposition and chairman of the PAC Bhupinder Singh presided over the meeting. Opposition chief whip and a member of the PAC told this paper that the committee had circulated a questionnaire to 11 departments to ascertain reasons behind the inordinate delay and the bottlenecks in the implementation of different projects. The PAC asked whether engagement of consultants for different projects at huge expenditure to the exchequer is necessary as there are talented and competent engineers and technicians in government departments. The committee also raised questions on delay in survey and investigations and preparation of lopsided planning for the projects. Harichandan said projects are announced without planning as a result of which their execution is delayed. He gave example of several irrigation projects which have been delayed for years and incurred cost overrun. The key question was the delay in land acquisition for different projects, be it for railways, irrigation or industrial projects. The committee wanted to know whether the procedure and laws for the land acquisition are cumbersome and they need to be simplified. The committee maintained that the tender process for projects was not transparent and complex. It also wanted to know whether forest clearance is one of the reasons behind the delay in completion of projects. Besides, the reasons behind rise in costs of projects and precautions to be taken for checking such trends were also discussed. The meeting remained inconclusive and will be held on November 5 . Chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, Development Commissioner RN Senapati, secretaries and officials from 11 departments attended.
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