10 schemes close to CM's heart may miss deadline

Bengaluru, Oct 6: While the ruling Congress gets bullish on promoting the government’s achievements, 10 out of 18 flagship programmes of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah - the party’s face for the upcoming Assembly polls - are unlikely to meet implementation targets before the end of his tenure.

These 18 programmes or schemes are directly monitored by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Ten of them are way behind the March 2018 deadline, according to data. These programmes are facing a predicted time delay of more than 10%, which roughly means they are, at least, months behind schedule. The CMO predicts time delay for a project going by the previous pace of expenditure.

The most lagging one is the 72-km-long Namma Metro Phase-2, a project Siddaramaiah has fast-tracked in order to be completed by December 2020.

The entire project is 77% behind schedule and the government’s target of completing Reach-2 and Reach-4 by March 2018 is unlikely to be achieved. Since February 2014, the government has spent Rs 3,725 crore on the Phase-2, but has achieved only 12% physical progress.

Similarly, infrastructure works under the Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Development Board is a dismal 74% behind schedule. Out of a total 14,893 works, only 3,467 have been completed at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

Construction of Citizen Service Centres (Bangalore One and Karnataka One) is another area where the government has not delivered much. Only 52 centres are operational out of the targetted 102. Based on physical and financial progress, this project is 44% behind schedule.

Other flagship programmes such as Pashu Bhagya, horticulture area expansion, Basava Housing Scheme (and other housing schemes), sports infrastructure, MGNREGA and micro irrigation are 12-36% behind the March 2018 deadline. Interestingly, data reveals that some of these were implemented well initially, but have lost closer to the polls.

Only three schemes are on track. Vidyasiri, under which poor backward class students get a stipend of Rs 1,500 per month towards accommodation, has covered 3.29 lakh students against the 3.11 lakh target.

The Niranthara Jyothi Yojane (24-hour 3-phase power supply in rural areas) has already reached 15,398 villages and is 10% ahead of schedule. Similarly, the Manaswini scheme to provide Rs 500 to poor spinsters and divorced women is closer to achieving the target.

Other flagship schemes such as Anna Bhagya, new hostels, industrial infrastructure, National Rural Drinking Water Programme and Mythri are facing minor delays.

“There is now visibility and transparency, so we know where the delays are. The chief minister will hold a series of review meetings in November to push implementation,” Principal Secretary to Chief Minister L K Atheeq said. “We are confident of achieving targets,” he added.