331 PROJECTS SEE OVERRUN OF `1.72L-CR

New Delhi, Oct. 23: As many as 331 infrastructure projects, each worth `150 crore or above, have seen a cost overrun of `1.72 lakh crore because of various reasons including delays, according to a government report.

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth `150 and above.

The total original cost of implementing the 1,257 projects was `15,76,903.56 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be `17,49,274.62 crore, cost overrun of `1,72,371.06 crore (10.93 per cent of the original), the ministry’s flash report for July this year has stated.

The expenditure incurred on these projects till July is `6,80,016.96 crore, which is 38.87 per cent of the total anticipated cost.

The 1,257 projects in question include 331 that reported cost overrun and 274 time escalation.

“Out of a total of 1,257 projects, 2 projects have reported completion and 10 new projects have been initiated on the monitor of this ministry during the current month (July). Of these, 11 projects are ahead of schedule, 304 are on schedule and 274 are delayed, 331 projects are showing cost overrun and 92 projects are showing both time and cost overrun with respect to original implementation schedules.”

However, the report said that the number of delayed projects decreases to 215 if delay is calculated with reference to latest revised schedules of completion.