Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reviewed the performance of the Transport sector in a series of meetings recently. The decisions taken at the meetings are as follows:
 
Railways-
   
1. Elevated Rail Corridor, Mumbai: The State Support Agreement should be signed with the Government of Maharashtra in the next 15 days. The Ministry will finalize important milestones with timelines by 31 December, 2012 and bids for the project will be invited before the Rail Budget in 2013.

2. Madhepura/Marhowra PPP Loco Factories:The bids for the Madhepura Project will be called by 31 December 2012 and the project will be awarded before the Railway Budget. The IMG set up under the CCEA approval will consider and approve any necessary changes to documents. Timelines for the Marhowra Project will be announced by December 15.

3. Setting up a Rail Tariff Authority: The IMG under CRB will finalize and submit its recommendations on the Rail Tariff Authority by 31December, 2012. A Cabinet Note will be brought latest by 15 January 2013.

4. Dedicated Freight Corridor: It is moving ahead much better than other large projects because of the dedicated project structure. The Ministry will submit revised estimates with details on source of funding for Dedicated Freight Corridor project by 15 December 15, 2012. The Ministry will also provide milestones with timelines for Sonnagar-Dankuni Project and adhere to them.

Road Transport and Highways-

5. Targets for awarding projects:

a) The Ministry will try its best to award road projects as per the original targets for FY 12-13 and will certainly cross 8,000 kms of awards this year by March, 2013.

b) Road projects of at least 3,000 kms length will be awarded under OMT by March, 2013.

6. RBI treatment of Loans: Secretary (RTH) will send a note to Chairman, PM's EAC on the issue of RBI's treatment of loans to the roads sector as unsecured loans.

Shipping-

7. Berths and Additional Capacity: The Ministry will try to achieve the FY 12-13 target of awarding port projects with a capacity of 245 MMTPA by March 2013. Issues relating to security clearances and land transfer, if any, will be taken up with Cabinet Secretary and Ministries concerned and resolved.

8. New Ports: A Cabinet note on two projects for new Major Ports in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal will be brought within a week. The projects will be awarded by March, 2013.