• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Thomas K. Thomas

Under utilisation of funds decried

New Delhi May 12 Telecom market may be growing at a scorching pace but the various Government agencies, responsible for fuelling the growth, are lagging behind 10th Plan targets.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has in its report rapped the various telecom institutions including the Telecom Engineering Centre, the Wireless Planning Co-ordination (WPC) wing, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Wireless Monitoring Organisation for not completing various projects and under utilisation of funds allocated under the Budget.

Projects delayed

For instance, four projects being undertaken by the TEC including setting up a test bed for voice over Internet protocol services and a tester for CDMA-based services, has been delayed.

"The Committee is surprised to observe that such administrative and procedural flaws are being encountered by the TEC year after year which invariably result in non-achievement of targets and gross under utilisation of the earmarked funds," the report said.

Under utilised funds

On WPC, the report observed that non-completion of various projects on time by contractors has led to under utilisation of funds.

"In fact the same excuse is given every year by DoT for non achievement of targets. The committee, therefore, cannot accept this explanation. They would like to be informed of the precise action taken against the erring contractors and also the officers for their failure in proper management of the contracts," said the report.

TRAI pulled up

The committee also pulled up TRAI for not completing six major consultancy studies due to various technical, procedural and administrative reasons.

"Such shortfalls in accomplishing important consultancy studies are least expected from TRAI, it being the pioneer body for discharging telecom as broadcasting regulatory functions," said the report.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Politics

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Weatherman may guide cricket schedules

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line