PM concerned over passport delivery, project delay

New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi today voiced concern over inefficient delivery of passports as also the delay in vital infrastructure projects and directed the departments concerned to address these issues.

He made his views known while chairing the fourth interaction through Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI), an IT-based multi-modal platform for addressing issues.

The focus of the interaction was passports and progress of key infrastructure projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore in sectors like railway, road, power, coal, petroleum and renewable energy, spread over several States including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

"In course of his review, the prime minister expressed concern at the grievances relating to delivery of passports," a PMO statement said.

He directed the External Affairs and Home Affairs ministries to hold a joint workshop to examine ways and means to reduce time in various clearances to enable quicker processing of passport services.

Reviewing the infrastructure projects, Modi expressed dismay at the delay in vital infrastructure projects due to repeated litigation, the statement said.

The prime minister asked the departments concerned to proactively pursue these matters judicially and highlight the difficulties faced by the people due to the non-completion of these projects, it added.

He complimented several States for the efforts that they were putting in to speed up infrastructure projects.

With regard to road and rail infrastructure, he focused especially on Odisha in view of the upcoming Nabakalebar festival there.

Noting that similar major festivals were also coming up in the near future in Madhya Pradesh (Simhastha, Ujjain) and Maharashtra (Kumbh, Nasik), Modi urged sharing of best practices, especially in the areas of sanitation, security and transportation.