New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed serious concern about the quality of government construction and public projects. During the Pragati meeting held on Tuesday, he asked the officials that when there is a system of third party audit to check the quality of work, then why are the shortcomings still coming to light. He even asked whether there would now be a need to conduct audit from a fourth party to ensure quality. The Prime Minister clearly said that such negligence in construction work cannot be accepted.
How many projects were reviewed?
In the Pragati meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed six major infrastructure projects related to railways, roads and power sectors. These projects are spread across nine states and their total cost is more than Rs 30 thousand crores. During the review, the Prime Minister asked the officials to pay special attention to the progress of the projects as well as their quality.
He said that instead of looking at a large infrastructure project as separate parts, packages or small sections, it should be seen as a complete project. This will enable better monitoring of construction quality, timelines and mutual coordination.
What did the PM say?
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Modi said that it is important to complete the projects quickly, but there should not be any compromise on quality. He called upon ministries, state governments and project implementing agencies to adopt modern technology and strengthen quality checks at every level.
The Prime Minister stressed upon the officials to make the system of monitoring and quality assurance during construction more effective. He said that it is not enough to just complete a project on time, but its usefulness and strength should also be ensured in the long run.
Why emphasis on transmission capacity along with increasing power generation?
During the review of a project in the power sector, the Prime Minister expressed the need to create adequate transmission network along with increasing the generation capacity. He compared it to building dams but not laying canals. He said that merely increasing the capacity to generate electricity will not yield the expected benefits unless there is adequate transmission system to deliver it to the areas where it is needed.
Has cyber fraud and digital arrest also been discussed?
Matters related to cyber fraud and digital arrest were also reviewed in the Pragati meeting. The Prime Minister asked for more emphasis on awareness, training and education to prevent such crimes. He called for the need to conduct consistent and targeted awareness campaigns, especially for the elderly, youth and other vulnerable sections.
Modi told officials that people should be made aware about common methods of online fraud, danger signs and safe digital behaviour. Along with this, emphasis was also laid on increasing the regular capacity of the employees dealing with cyber crime.
What steps were taken to stop cyber fraud in 20 states?
During the meeting, Home Secretary Govind Mohan gave detailed information about the measures being taken to deal with cases of cyber fraud and digital arrest in 20 states. The Prime Minister stressed the need to continuously update the system to identify emerging cybercrime methods and take swift action against them.
