The list of infrastructure activities should be finalised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoS&PI) on the basis of the characteristics recommended for identification of infrastructure.
Data gaps have been identified for many infrastructure sub-sectors. Steps to bridge this gap should be taken by the respective authorities namely, Railway Board (Railways); Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Roads); Director General, Civil Aviation (Airways); Ministry of Shipping (Waterways); Department of Telecommunications (Telecommunications); Central Electricity Authority (Electricity); National Sample Survey Organisation, National Buildings Organisation, and Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner (Housing Services); Department of Post (Postal Services); Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation (Urban Infrastructure); Ministry of Rural Development (Rural Infrastructure); Planning Commission (Energy Sector excluding Electricity); and MoS&PI (Infrastructure Indices).
A mechanism to collect reliable data on the infrastructure activities should be evolved immediately by the respective authorities in consultation with the MoS&PI.
Considering that Infrastructure Statistics are generated in different sub-sectors, for the benefit of the users, data on all infrastructure activities should be published in one document by the MoS&PI so as to improve the accessibility of such data to policy makers and other data users.
Notion of Infrastructure (Para 8.2.23)
Railways (Para 8.3.5)
The Railway Board should make the Annual Statistical Statement, which at present gives zone-wise data in the form of an unpublished and internal document, widely available.
Roads (Para 8.3.18)
Statistical cells within the Public Works Departments (PWDs) should be set up, which should coordinate with various agencies in the matter of collection, compilation and dissemination of Road Statistics. Such data collected by the PWDs should be made available to the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways that should then take steps to publish these.
Detailed data with respect to the bigger and/or significant Road Transport Sector units should be collected through the proposed Survey of Non-Manufacturing Industries (SNMI).
Improved method of data collection should be tried by the MoS&PI to generate the Road Transport Statistics through both the SNMI and the Follow-up Enterprise Surveys that should exclude enterprises covered under the SNMI.
A mechanism should be evolved to improve the Road Transport Statistics by way of compulsory furnishing of essential information at the check posts and their processing on an appropriate sampling basis.
Compulsory furnishing of certain minimum statistics by the transport operators at the time of renewal of licensing should be enforced. Statistical cells in the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), with proper infrastructural facilities, should be set up to compile the data furnished by the transport operators at the time of renewal of licensing and disseminate the same in a prescribed format.
Airways (Para 8.3.21)
The data-collection system for the private sector should be strengthened and identified data gaps be addressed.
The Director General, Civil Aviation should publish the data on airways for both the nationalised and private airlines.
Waterways (Para 8.3.24)
The prevalent statistical system for the sector should be modernised through application of advanced Information Technology.
A mechanism should be evolved by the Ministry of Shipping to collect data from individual shipping companies, which own one or two vessels in most of the cases.
Full-fledged statistical cells should be created in the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Directorates of the State Governments to strengthen the database for IWT Statistics.
Such statistical cells should be charged with the responsibilities of collection, processing, compilation and dissemination of IWT data not only for the IWT vessels operated by the IWT Directorates but also for the vessels as well as country crafts owned and operated by private companies and individuals.
The Ministry of Shipping should be made responsible for publishing data related to this IWT Sector.
Telecommunications (Para 8.3.29)
With the opening up of telecom services to the private service providers, they should be mandated to furnish the required information to the Department of Telecommunications on a regular basis.
The overall responsibility of publishing telecom data for both the public and private sectors should rest with the Department of Telecommunications.
Electricity (Para 8.3.34)
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) should remove the delays in release of Electricity Statistics.
The electricity authorities at the State and Union Territory level should publish the data for the electricity-generating units, including those in the private sector, under their respective jurisdictions.
State Governments under whose jurisdiction State Electricity Boards (SEBs) operate should be asked to collect data pertaining to the finances of the SEBs.
In order to improve the data coverage and timely dissemination of Electricity Statistics, the CEA should strengthen its existing cell with statistical expertise.
Housing Services (Para 8.3.42)
The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), National Buildings Organisation (NBO) and Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India should take steps to bridge the data gaps on Housing Statistics through surveys and censuses.
The local self-governments should be involved in compilation of Housing Statistics based on the house completion certificates. The concerned Ministry in each of the State and Union Territory Governments should consolidate the information for the State or Union Territory and release the same.
An expert group should be set up by the NBO to examine the collection mechanism of prices of building materials and wage rates for suggesting improvements in the mechanism of data collection and dissemination.
Postal Services (Para 8.3.47)
The database on postal services should be strengthened by the Department of Post to have zone-wise data, including the data on revenue collected from different categories of postal services, origin-destination of postal traffic and timeliness of delivery.
In order to reduce delays in the release of statistics, qualified statistical staff should be provided at least in the major postal circles.
The system of dissemination of Postal Statistics should be improved by introducing the latest information technologies.
Information on the operations of courier services should also be collected through the proposed Survey of Non-Manufacturing Industries and Follow-up Enterprise Surveys.
Urban Infrastructure (Para 8.3.52)
An official publication on Urban Infrastructure Statistics should be brought out by the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.
The publication should cover the identified data requirements, data gaps as well as other emerging requirements.
The States’ Directorates of Economics and Statistics should vigorously pursue the programme of compiling and publishing Municipal Year Books.
Urban Infrastructure (Para 8.3.52)
The possibility of bringing out a publication on Rural Infrastructure Statistics should be explored by the Ministry of Rural Development.
The publication should cover all the identified data requirements, data gaps as well as other emerging requirements.
Energy Sector excluding Electricity (Para 8.3.58)
Efforts should be made by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy (for Solar Energy); Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (for Petroleum and Natural Gas); Department of Atomic Energy (for Nuclear Energy); and Ministry of Coal (for Coal) to provide data pertaining to Energy Sector (excluding electricity) to the Planning Commission which should then produce a comprehensive document covering the identified data requirements as well as other emerging requirements.
Construction of Infrastructure Indices (Para 8.4.11)
For devising a summary measure of the state of infrastructure in the country, two suggested infrastructure indices – one being a general index and the other an utilisation index – should be constructed by the MoS&PI. A Special Committee should be set up by the MoS&PI to look into the details of construction of these indices.
Although coverage of infrastructure facilities to be included in the indices may be modest in the initial stage, its scope should be widened in a gradual manner.
The weighting pattern of the indices should be revised every five years so that the indices are representative of the actual state of affairs in the Sector.
