Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure constituted

New Delhi, July 11 (ANI): The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) has been constituted under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The constitution of the high-powered committee comes in the wake of Government's focus on infrastructure, which has been identified as a key priority area.

The committee will fast track the implementation of the infrastructure sector projects and monitor the performance keeping in mind the mandate of the Government.

The function of the CCI is to consider and take decisions in respect of all infrastructure related proposals costing more than Rs.150 crores specifically those concerning energy, railways, roads and national highways, ports, airports, telecommunications, information technology, irrigation, housing and urban development with particular emphasis on rural housing and urban slum clearance.

Other functions are: to consider and decide measures; namely, fiscal, financial, institutional and legal required to enhance investment in the infrastructure sector, including grant of requisite approvals to facilitate private sector investment in specific projects; to lay down annual parameters and targets for performance for all infrastructure sectors; and to review the progress of infrastructure sector projects.

The members of the Committee are Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, Urban Development Minster S Jaipal Reddy, Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath, Telecom Minister A Raja, Rural Development Minister C P Joshi, Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja, Shipping Minister G K Vasan and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Minister of State for PMO Prithviraj Chavan and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel will be the special invitees. (ANI)