Several infrastructure project proposals including bridges and roads, which have been submitted or are set to be submitted for administrative approval, may face a roadblock as the state public works department has decided to access the necessity and importance of all such projects.

All the engineers of the PWD have been asked to submit reports pointing out why the projects, sent or to be sent for administrative approval and financial sanction, are a necessity and important.

The development is considered to be significant as the department has been taking up only necessary projects in the past 18 months in the wake of the finance department order asking all the state departments to go for an austerity drive in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic since April 2020.

Sources in the government said that only those projects considered to be extremely necessary are being sent for administrative approval these days. In light of this, a further scrutiny of such projects would lead a critical situation.

“This (new development) makes it clear that the government is in a mood to conduct a scrutiny of those projects which have already been considered absolutely necessary. Already projects worth about Rs 8,000 crore are pending for administrative approval and some more were supposed to be sent for seeking the required approval. It seems all projects have now hit a roadblock," said a senior official.

The official explained that these projects were considered necessary because these include 45 to 50 bridges across the state planned to replace the old and existing ones.

“All bridges planned to be replaced are very vulnerable. If new bridges are not approved, old ones may collapse in near future,” he added.

Some officials said the government is trying to ensure only unavoidable projects get administrative nod amid the stressed financial condition of the Bengal government.

“If administrative approval is given and projects don’t take off, it does not look good. So, only those projects which are unavoidable will be carried out,” said a source.

Some officials said that the state government was forced to review new projects as it is facing trouble to arrange funds for Lakshmir Bhandar scheme which will kick off from October-end. “The scheme requires Rs 18,000 crore annually.. The government has to cut down expenditure on infrastructure heavily to run it,” said a source.

A senior PWD official, however, said the decision to review all projects was linked to the finance department’s austerity drive where a new project worth more than Rs 30 lakh must wait for approval.

But others said the austerity measures are in place since April, 2020 but reviewing all new projects already considered a necessity clearly hints at more budget cuts.