Kathmandu, June 21: The second four monthly progress review of the Ministry of Information and Communications and departments, corporations, committees and councils and authorities under it and meeting of the Ministry Level Development Problems Resolution Committee was held under the chairmanship of Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta at the Information and Communications Ministry today.

On the occasion, Information and Communications Minister Gupta directed that efforts be kept up to realise the expected levels of progress in meeting annual targets of development programmes. He said that in the present situation when expectations have risen, programmes in telecommunications have to be reviewed to ensure still greater levels of progress, a programme should be launched for putting the physical assets of Rastriya Samachar Samiti to productive use, and a policy review made to run the postal service in an effective manner.

Expressing confidence that private sector participation in telecommunications development will have positive results, he said the National Planning Commission should play the role of coordinator for the work of the Roads Department and the Telecommunications Corporation.

National Planning Commission member Dr Rameshananda Baidhya said liberalisation policy has been outstanding in the satisfactory development of telecommunications, adding that application is needed to meet policy commitments.

Secretary at the Information and Communications Ministry Sri Ram Poudel, throwing light on the reform measures adopted by His Majesty’s Government for effective implementation of projects, said that big projects will be evaluated on the spot.

Of the 23 projects and programmes run by the Ministry and units under it during the period under review, the physical progress made by the programmes averaged 58.26 per cent. Expenditures of Rs. 33,206,000 from HMG’s internal sources, Rs 6,772,000 in foreign grant and Rs l72,785,000 from the internal resources of the corporations were made on the programmes, according to a press communique issued by the Ministry.

Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Ministry of General Administration and the National Planning Commission Secretariat, the heads of departments, corporations, committees and authorities concerned and senior Ministry officials.