Modi Govt. doing its best to break the girdlock in the bureaucratic chain

As Narendra Modi govt completes 4 years, internal memo describes how bureaucracy derailed major projects

The past 48 months were marked by some historical decisions including demonetisation, the launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's medicare scheme, and the implementation of Goods and Service Tax — India's biggest tax reform since Independence. But there is uneasiness in the top echelons of the government over paralysis in the implementation of big-ticket infrastructure projects, which has much to do with the gridlock in the bureaucratic chain.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a system of regular stocktaking of the schemes, lengthy inter-ministerial consultations as well as resolving clearance issues with the stakeholders seem to have contributed in slowing down the pace on the ground. During his address at Civil Services Day on 21 April, Modi indicated that the system needs to evolve as files even after traveling 32 times failed to get 'moksha'.

According to the latest government report, projects costing over Rs 150 crore in atomic energy, railways, and heavy industry are facing delays. In the atomic sector, all four projects were plagued by UPA's policy paralysis. 

In fact, a project for fast breeder reactor at Bhavini was approved by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in September 2003 with an expenditure of Rs 3,492 crore and it was expected to become operational by September 2010. The project not only missed the deadline, the cost overrun is colossal and after spending Rs 5,566 crore, the government is expecting to complete the project by June this year and its cost to the national exchequer is supposed to go up to Rs 6,100 crore.

Two other atomic power projects — Kakrapar and Rajasthan — approved in October 2009 missed the original deadline of December 2015 and December 2016, respectively, and could become operational only in late 2019 and 2020. Also, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project that was approved by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in March 2013 will not be able to meet the November 2020 deadline; the Modi government expects to make it operational towards the end of 2023.

The government report said that the delay in these four nuclear projects alone would have a cost overrun of Rs 2,608 crores. According to government figures, about 264 projects were delayed while only 14 could manage to move ahead of schedule. Though 308 projects are on the right track of completion as mentioned at the time of clearance, the report in February 2018 stated that there are as many as 603 projects that do not have a time frame for completion.

So far a power project in Chhattisgarh, an Urban Development Ministry project in Madhya Pradesh and three railway projects — Suratpura-Hanumangarh-SriGanganagar Gauge conversion, Ratnagarh-Bikaner Gauge conversion and Rohtak-Bhiwani doubling — has been completed, the report said.

A 50 MW wind power project first cleared in November 2011 with a cost of Rs 310 crore has been running behind the schedule. Though the Urban Development Ministry is implementing 38 mega projects, some of which were sanctioned during the UPA-I regime, the government report said that in certain projects, it could be delayed by 72 months.

In November 2017, the government had reviewed 1,283 projects that were being monitored. Of these, 302 projects were running behind their schedule and the cost overrun of these delayed projects was Rs 1.45 lakh crores. The telecommunication sector could bring a bit of fresh air for the government, as seven out of nine major projects would be completed in the year 2018.

Though, according to the government, a standing committee in each ministry has been set up for fixation of responsibility for time and cost overruns, it has been observed that due to environmental clearances, statutory clearances, land acquisition and security clearances, it is difficult to fix the responsibility on babus for delay in implementation on the ground.

The government in December 2017 had said that they were monitoring 380 mega projects each costing Rs 1,000 crores and above. The original cost of implementation of these 380 projects was Rs 11.96 Lakh crore and their anticipated completion cost was likely to be Rs 13.62 lakh crore, reflecting overall cost overruns of Rs 1.66 lakh crores.

Time, cost overruns vary with projects, claims minister

In January 2018, programme implementation minister Vijay Goel had told the Lok Sabha narrating various other reasons for the delay. Goel had told the Lower House of the Parliament that the time and cost overruns are project-specific and depend on a variety of technical, financial and administrative factors, and differ from project to project. The main reasons, he argued, for the increase in the cost of the project are under-estimation of the original cost, changes in rates of foreign exchange, the high cost of environmental safeguards and rehabilitation measures, spiraling land acquisition, shortage of skilled manpower, and changes in project scope.

The government in 2016 had constituted eight group of secretaries on eight sectors — transport and communications, energy and environment, health and sanitation, education and social development, commerce and industry, science and technology, governance and crisis management with a mandate to prepare a time-bound action plan and to monitor the implementation of ministries and departments.

As far as the main action plan for timely completion of mega projects is concerned, the government feels that it needs to apply rigorous project appraisal, setting up of revised cost committees in the ministries for fixation of responsibility for time and cost overruns; regular review of infrastructure projects by the concerned administrative ministries; and setting up of central sector projects coordination committees (CSPCCs) in the states under the concerned chief secretaries for removal of bottlenecks and for facilitating the speedy implementation of major projects.

The government also has a project monitoring group (PMG), which primarily focuses on resolving a variety of issues for large public projects through inter-ministerial meetings to remove implementation bottlenecks. The group ensured that at least 197 of the 273 mega power projects were cleared after its intervention and meetings with various departments to address a variety of issues.

A report in January 2018 said that 210 projects having 515 clearance issues with anticipated investment of Rs 9.34 lakh crores were under consideration. The government has also made technological intervention to fast-track projects. Since 75 key approvals from the Centre are required to set up new projects, it has made at least 67 services integrated through an online platform to track the delay in sanctions and ensure that they are taken up by an appropriate authority.

The government, it appears, should focus on what a group of secretaries had observed: "Scheme approval should be limited to objectives, total outlay, broad guidelines, measurable outcomes with timelines, expenditure phasing, and evaluation. Within these parameters, states to have the freedom to formulate projects in consultation with the Ministries.”

In order to streamline the budgetary process, challenges and priorities for reforms, the International Monetary Fund's South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) had recently held meetings with key ministries in the social sector to identify and implement good international practices.

The documents accessed by Firstpost shows SARTTAC officials had held three meetings with the Department of Economic Affairs on 21 and 22 February, and 1 March 2018 to discuss the reform challenges. The SARTTAC team documents also reveal that it had held meetings with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Rural Development and Ministry of Health.

Citizen-centric governance gets thumbs up

The Central ministries in the last four years were able to overcome problems in handling public grievances and as per latest report finalised after a meeting on 9 February 2018, a majority of grievances followed the service delivery time frame. The rate of disposal of grievances for the Ministry of Water Resources is 98.55 percent. There are 200 pending grievances out of which four grievances are pending for more than one year and seven grievances are pending for 6-12 months.

The rate of disposal of grievances in the Ministry of Minority Affairs is 93.47 percent. There are 341 pending grievances out of which 21 grievances are pending for more than one year and 49 grievances are pending for 6-12 months. During the meeting, the ministry reported that most of the grievances were related to scholarship issues, however, it was observed that the pendency of more than one-year-old grievances was quite high. For the Ministry of Housing, the rate of disposal of grievances is 98.18 percent. There are 764 pending grievances out of which 13 grievances are pending for more than one year and 39 grievances are pending for 6-12 months.

The meeting held at Sardar Patel Bhawan made it clear that all the ministries should conduct a review of grievances regularly at higher levels and a grievance must be addressed within a period of maximum two months. There was also a directive issued to the ministries that a grievance should not be closed by merely transferring it to the attached subordinate or field office and the concerned government officers should give a reasoned reply for the closure of a grievance to the citizen.

Modi had repeatedly flagged ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ and that has been the most attention-grabbing government reform process eliminating several obsolete laws and using technology in public service delivery to bring transparency. The government was able to address all the 18 issues taken up for reforms. The latest was the plan for the government's exit from the air service sector by proposing to sell up to 76 percent stake in Air India.

In the social sector, reports reviewed by Firstpost shows that implementation has been encouraging for the government. For Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna-Gramin, states and Union territories had sanctioned over 74.48 lakh houses and completed more than 33 lakh by 31 March 2018. The government plans to construct 2.95 Crore houses by 2022. As far as the second phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is concerned, of the total target of 50,000 kilometres, the government has cleared over 32,000 kilometres road length and out of 1.63 lakh unconnected habitations taken up for the work, more than 1.30 lakh habitations were connected till February this year. Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana with an aim to empower the rural poor, a total 6.81 lakh self-help groups were financed in 2017-18, a considerable improvement from 2016-17 when 5.7 lakh such groups were promoted across the country.

Source-https://www.firstpost.com/india/as-narendra-modi-govt-completes-4-years-internal-memo-describes-how-bureaucracy-derailed-major-projects-4441973.html

Wealthy Naxal Extortionists

Wealthy Naxal Extortionists

The Naxal hypocrisy: Top LWE leaders amass personal wealth while cadres are told to shun life of comfort

Source-https://www.firstpost.com/india/the-naxal-hypocrisy-top-lwe-leaders-amass-personal-wealth-while-cadres-are-told-to-shun-life-of-comfort-4460167.html

New Delhi: As Mao Zedong said, the guerrilla must take to people like fish to water. Most Naxals in India haven't even seen a photograph of Chairman Mao. His ideology too is no more important. Naxal leaders aren't dreaming of a successful red revolution anymore, but are focusing on making money and indoctrinating gullible people in order to continue with their dubious activities.

Top Maoist leaders are aware that Naxalism is just a clarion call, just a brand name — they are extorting large amounts by taxing iron and coal mining contractors in order to increase personal wealth.

The Ministry of Home Affairs — in order to choke the financial lifeline of the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) movement, to eliminate red terror, and to ensure the confiscation of properties amassed by Naxal leaders — has constituted multi-disciplinary groups comprising the Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Board of Direct Taxes, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and state police. The process has also been initiated for the creation of a separate vertical within the NIA for investigating important cases pertaining LWE.

The Naxal movement is reportedly being financed through a network of dubious activities undertaken by its leaders. These activities include levy from private contractors, including those involved in execution of government schemes, mining contractors, transporters and owners of small and medium industries. Similarly, funds are also generated through collections from illegal activities, such as mining in non-specified areas, illegal stone crushing and collection of "tendu pasta".

Interestingly, a large part of the money collected is also channeled towards the personal wealth of its leaders, whose children get the best of education, and whose families lead a life of comfort. This while the misled cadre toil away in the jungles in the cause of a twisted ideology. A top MHA official said the central agencies have been coordinating and holding regular meetings, and actionable intelligence gathered so far reveals the true face of red terror.

Naxal leaders' finances

Pradyuman Sharma, member of the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee (BJSAC), paid Rs 22 lakh in fees for getting his niece admitted to a private medical college, investigation has revealed. Another BJSAC member Sandeep Yadav exchanged Rs 15 lakh during the demonetisation drive by the government. This was disclosed by the trader who exchanged the demonetised currency notes.

"Several stories of this kind reveal the real face of the LWE leadership. Sandeep Yadav's daughter studied at a reputed private institute and his son is studying in a private engineering college. Similarly, another senior Naxal leader Arvind Yadav paid Rs 12 lakh in fees for his brother to study in a private engineering college," investigation has unearthed.

"It may not out of place to say that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is known to force young children to join their squads, and strongly resist all kinds of development activities — be it road construction, mobile tower erection, etc. However, their double standards are exposed by the kind of education and other facilities they provide to their own children and families," an MHA official said.

Since the multi-agencies' crackdown, the ED has registered four cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Sandeep Yadav, Pradyuman Sharma, Vinay Yadav and Musafir Sahni of CPI(Maoist), who are all members of BJSAC. The ED attached properties of Sandeep Yadav and Pradyuman Sharma valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore. The central agencies have also seized Rs 1.45 crore in cash and properties including approximately 32 acres land, several buildings, two buses, 11 cars/jeeps, two tractors and one JCB in Bihar and Jharkhand under Section 25 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

It has also been revealed that the central agencies also seized Rs 1 crore in cash during demonetisation from the Naxal leadership. A senior officer in the security establishment said the Naxals are also extorting money from small businessmen running rice and flour mills, grocery stores, clinics and liquor shops, calling it "protection money". "They are also involved in looting in certain areas they are operating. They must be raising more than Rs 150 crore annually," the MHA official said.

According to a research paper by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), the Maoists have been collecting not less than Rs 140 crore annually from a variety of sources. It said the Maoists have conceived ingenious ways of storing money to ensure its safety, have issued guidelines for the collection of funds, and have also circulated guidelines on expenditure and fiscal discipline.

"It has been learnt that money is also being given to real estate agents. Perhaps these are trustworthy former radicals or cadres, who would invest it in their business and return the money to the leadership as and when demanded. Also, in some cases, the Maoists are said to have purchased vehicles and given them to their supporters. These can be used for ferrying logistics, cadres and leaders as and when required. Besides, those allotted vehicles would also also pay a fixed amount to the outfit every month from their earnings. In some cases, the money has also been converted into gold biscuits. Large amounts are also being packed neatly in multiple layers of polythene, kept inside a metal box and then dropped into syntax tanks. Thereafter, these tanks are stacked away in dumps in forests," said a research paper authored by IDSA's PV Ramana.

Congress’s Karnataka Manifesto Is So Anti-Hindu That It Will Shock You!

Congress’s Karnataka Manifesto Is So Anti-Hindu That It Will Shock You!

Muslims To Get Soft Loans @ 4% Interest In Congress Manifesto; Hindus To Get Nothing.

Congress National President Rahul Gandhi released its Karnataka State manifesto today and its clearly a trailer of the Anti Hindu stance that Siddaramaiah has so blatantly displayed in the past 5 years. Our team found 7 major promises and announcements in the Congress Manifesto that would be making even Tipu Sultan blush!

4% reservation to minority Muslims in Government appointments. Lingayats can Rest in Peace, because after all the theatrics created by the Congress government around declaring Lingayats as a minority religion, they have ended up announcing a startling 4% reservation to the Muslims in Government appointments. Yes, this is not an economic reservation but a desperate attempt on behalf of the Congress to give a green hue to the elections.

The State government has introduced various developmental schemes to promote and uplift minority communities to bring them on par with other communities. Try searching for the word Hindu or Temples in the Congress Manifesto and well the search results are staggering! ZERO.

Yes a big zero is what you get. All religions but “Hinduism” is what the “Janeudhaari” Shri Shri Rahul Gandhi has promised to uplift. What is even more shocking is the fact that Congress is going around thumping its chest claiming that they are a Muslim organization. Asaduddin Owaisi would be facing a serious identity crisis looking at the polarisation that the self proclaimed Brahmin of the nation.

To reduce the dropouts among 60,000 minority students, we propose construction of 1000 Maulana Azad schools. Yes, because only children from the Minorities deserve to go to schools, correct? Not schools, but “Maulana Azad” schools for minorities!

With 75% literacy rate, the state should be striving to give quality education to all, but Mr. Siddaramaiah and the Shehzaada are willing to give a communal colour even to education and categorically call out 60,000 minority students in a state with over 1 crore children. Don’t be surprised if the holy Quran is made compulsory in all schools.

We will setup Maulana schools in every taluk. And it only gets better. Not even in Taluks with high Muslim population, the Maulana schools for minority students will be set up in every Taluk. One might wonder why could it not be just a school, and had to be a Maulana school for minorities, but alas that’s what one can expect from Janeudhaari Muslims.

Madrasa board will be established to manage affairs of Madrasas regarding employment, self-employment and skilling. Different surveys have shown that Unemployment is one of the biggest menace being faced by the youth of Karnataka.

Mr. Siddaramaiah could have done so much better had a board been set up for administratively solving the issue. But no, employment is only meant for the religions that can be wooed by the “Secular” party.

Support WAQF by developing their 300 commercially potential properties in the next five years and Constitution of Wakf Properties Development Corporation. 

If giving triple the funds to Maulvis as compared to Hindu priests was not sufficient, WAQF support is the next weapon the Congress wants to polarise the peaceful citizens of the state. Under Congress rule, Roti Kapda aur makaan, all of it can be yours as long as you are anyone but a Hindu! Bravo!!

Soft loans will be provided to minorities to set up quality education institutions through KMDC upto Rs. 5 Crores for those institutions who provide collateral security at 4% interest. Soft Loans to minorities to setup educational institutions. Dear Siddaramaiah, why don’t you just declare Urdu as the official language for imparting education in the state!

Insurance Scheme to cover the health and children’s education of minority Auto and Taxi drivers. Forget education, land, government jobs but Congress has shamelessly gone to the extent of dividing even the united and hardworking auto and taxi drivers, by being partial in giving health insurance and education cover to the children of only Minority Auto and Taxi drivers.

What’s next Mr. Rahul Gandhi? So, the next time we take an auto do we need to pay extra basis the religion of the driver?

Credit - https://www.facebook.com/vstondale/posts/1676791369064757

Simple calculation - they are after 13% of Muslims and 2% of Xtians...+ their own loyals 10%...few of SC/ST..Lingayats and Dalits will see them upto 34% and thats it...they dont need Hindu votes.

They dont need Hindu Votes also because they know Hindus can be brainwashed by 'Secular' nonsense.

Minority only schemes.

1)Pre/Post metric scholarships to 1.25 crore minority students 2)250 hostels, 150 schools for 50000 students. 3)1000 maulana Azad schools. 4)Christian development board

As per Congress Manifesto there are 1.25 crore minority students in Karnataka! Total minority population of Karnataka is about 90 lakhs out of 6.5 crore population of Karnataka, how can there be 1.25 crore minority students? Are they planning to bring in Rohingyas and settle here? And, it there are 1.25crore population belonging to 2 distinct communities, then, is it justified to have Minority status for them?

Well...!