94 big infrastructure projects delayed: Minister

New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) As many as 94 big infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above have been delayed and showed cost overrun, Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda informed Parliament on Wednesday.

Big central sector projects are being monitored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation through its online computerised monitoring system.

"As many as 1,186 projects costing Rs 150 crore and above were on the monitor of this ministry… of these, 94 projects are delayed and showing cost overruns," he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

He said the delays were project specific but law and order problems, delay in land acquisition, geological conditions, delay in environment and forest clearances, rehabilitation and resettlement issue were the main causes of delays.

"These reasons at times also result in non-utilisation of funds allocation in full in respect of some projects," he said.

The Minister said rigorous project appraisal, online computerised monitoring system, standing committees in the ministries for fixing responsibilities were taken up to complete the projects on time.

The government set up central sector project coordination committees in states under the respective Chief Secretaries for removal of bottlenecks and for facilitating and speedy implementation of major projects, he added.