The Prime Minister was today given an overview of the Delivery Monitoring Unit which is set up in the Prime Minister's Office for monitoring "Flagship Programmes, New Initiatives and Iconic Projects".

In the President's Address (delivered on June 4th), it was stated that within 100 days a Delivery Monitoring Unit would be set up. This unit was set up within 33 days on the 7th July.

At a 90-minute meeting, the Prime Minister acquainted himself with the delivery monitoring unit's mechanism. The DMU is designed to ensure monitoring by the Prime Minister's Office on selected programmes. In the UPA-1 there were 101 items in the National Common Minimum Programme which were being "monitored" by the PMO. Now these have been reduced to a select menu of 18 items of high visibility and high impact projects.

The role of DMU is to ensure effective delivery through regular monitoring of outputs, fast-track implementation and trouble-shoot through periodic reviews. The basic design is that the Prime Minister will be kept informed of the progress on these select programmes on a quarterly basis. Accordingly, the first report would be presented to the Prime Minister in early October. The primary objective is that this reporting be placed in the public domain so that it is available to the citizens as well as to the Prime Minister.

However, it was also stressed that the DMU would in no way dilute the role of the administrative ministries in these programmes. The inputs/reports would be used to facilitate speedy implementation of these programmes and, if necessary, help ensure course correction.

Beginning September 15, 2009, the Ministries will start placing information in the public domain under the title "DMU Reports" on their respective website Home Page.

There are three categories of programmes to be monitored by DMU:

* Flagship Programmes: (NREGA, NRHM, SSA, JNNURM, Bharat Nirman, Multi-Sectoral District Plans for Minority Districts)

* New Initiatives: (Mission on Female Literacy; Rajiv Awas Yojana; NCHE; NCHRH; Innovation Universities - Decade of Innovation; Strengthening of Public Accountability through Right to Information, Public Date Policy, Independent Evaluation Office, Annual Reports)

* Iconic Projects: (DMIC, Dedicated Railway Freight Corridor, Land Ports, Assam Gas Cracker Project, PM's Reconstruction Plan for J&K, Infrastructure Development in North East)

The Prime Minister stressed that what is put on in the public domain should be real time data, accessible to the every citizen. The DMU is part of the UPA Government's commitment to bring about maximum transparency and accountability in the governing process.