Lack of coordination among line agencies hit infrastructure program

The program to provide basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity lines and drinking water to cement factories that are sourcing raw materials locally is not gaining momentum in the lack of coordination among line agencies.
The government has even failed to redesign the program as per the partial budget.
“The program is yet to get shape due to weak coordination among line agencies,” an official at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management (MoPPWTM), said.
As there has been low budgetary allocation for the program, different government agencies must work in tandem to introduce the program.
The MoPPWTM, Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Local Development are responsible for developing roads, expanding electricity lines and providing drinking water respectively to the project sites. Similarly, the monitoring part falls under the Ministry of Industry (MoI).
Hari Bhakta Shrestha, joint secretary at the MoPPWTM, has said the Department of Roads (DoR) is designing modus operandi to build roads to the project sites.
Meanwhile, the MoI, which is entrusted to carry out the monitoring part of the program, has expressed disappointment over slow work progress. “I don´t think the program will get pace in the first three months of fiscal year 2012/13,” a knowledgeable source at the ministry told Republica. “The program was also not properly implemented in 2011/12 as well.”
According to a review report of the industry ministry, the program achieved 40 percent of the target set for the period during 2011/12.
The government over the last four years constructed only one-third of the 32 km road it had promised to four cement factories.
“Though the government had released Rs 175 million for road construction, only 48 percent of the amount was spent in the last fiscal year,” said the official.