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In the first quarter of 2008, Hyderabad and Bangalore will switch over to new airports, one on schedule and the other a few days ahead — a rare achievement for any infrastructure project in India. The airports are being constructed by a consortium that includes members experienced in running world-class airports. The spanking new airports, both about 30 km outside the city and offering the latest in facilities, will surely woo international airlines. The Hyderabad airport can handle the new generation Airbus A380 aircraft, thanks to its wider and longer runways. The passengers can complete the formalities at the airport in very little time, thanks to the facilities provided, but their travel to and from the airport to the city will not be as quick. Unfortunately, the connecting links to the city — either the roads or the high-speed rail line — are yet to be completed. A wider road to Hyderabad’s Shamsabad airport will be ready by 2008-end while a metro rail system is still in the planning stage. In executing infrastructure projects, Bangalore’s performance is shoddy, to say the least; the road link is still some way off while a high-speed rail is only being talked about.

It is in this connection that the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram’s observations at a function in Mumbai last week are telling. As many as 301 projects have been delayed by up to 96 months, with the cumulative cost-overrun being Rs 48,961 crore — a sum no country, least of all a developing nation, can afford. Therein lies the tale of India’s infrastructure — tremendous cost over-runs due to the delays. Ask industry leaders and they are likely to tell you that economic slowdowns and rising interest rates are something they are equipped to handle, not the poor state of infrastructure.

Infrastructure projects in India are planned in haste and executed in leisure; any good infrastructure project should be planned thoroughly and executed with speed. There is a tendency to look at only the cost angle of a project; quality and time aspects are not given much importance. With some States — Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — planning metro rail projects for their capitals and with thousands of crores being pumped into infrastructure , there is a need to create a Ministry of Infrastructure at the Centre that will draw up long-term integrated plans and co-ordinate with the various departments and the States. Also, States must set up a separate department for infrastructure if they are to achieve substantial progress in this crucial area.

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