As the railway ministry works out models for implementing projects in partnership with private players, a standing committee of Parliament has slammed railways for shoddy execution of projects and suggested buckling up to meet the Eleventh Plan targets. It also pointed out that railways doesn?t know the impact of delays on the cost-benefit ratio.
Railways has to lay 2,000 km of new lines, convert gauge of 10,000 km route, double 6,000 km lines and carry out electrification of 3,500 km during the Eleventh Plan, which ends on March 31, 2012. At the completion of half of the Plan, the national transporter could achieve only 513 km of new lines, 2,612 km of gauge conversion, 789 km of doubling and 1,299 km of electrification.
Even though the Plan performance has been weak, the ministry has set ambitious targets for the next 10 years, estimating the required investment at Rs 14 lakh crore. For instance, railways has to lay 25,000 km new lines by 2020. In 2010-11, it has to lay down new lines at 1,000-km route at an investment of Rs 4,362 crore.