Road Ministry to urge PM to make Planning Commission and Finance Ministry ‘less meddling’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to receive a request from the Ministry of Roads, Highways and Transport to reduce the interference of the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry.
The Road Ministry’s request to the PM to make the Planning Commission and Finance Ministry ‘less meddling’ is essentially rooted in the fact that undue interference by the two authoritative bodies hampers the timely implementation of programmes.
According to unidentified sources, the request will be made by the Road Ministry as part of its forthcoming presentation to PM Modi.
As per the details shared by the officials of the Road Ministry, there have been a number of instances in the past when interference by the Planning Commission and Finance Ministry has caused needless delays in projects. The officials said that the Road Ministry “does not see any reason behind the interference.”
The alleged interference of the Planning Commission has recently come to the fore after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) blamed the Commission for impeding its efforts to revitalize the virtually-stalled road sector, and sought more powers to accelerate the project implementation process.
Towards that end, NHAI chairman RP Singh had said in a recent letter written to Road Transport and Highway Secretary Vijay Chhibber: “It’s high time that the role of the Planning Commission is reviewed and the ministry starts playing a proactive role to sort out the issues being faced by the road sector.”
Source – The Financial Express
National Highways Authority of India, Planning Commission, Planning Commission and Finance Ministry, Road Ministry and Planning Commission, Road Transport and Highway Secretary
