CAG report raises issues of 'inadequate monitoring' of mission mode projects by DRDO

New Delhi: A CAG report has brought out “inefficiencies” in the planning process of the DRDO, and raised issues of “inadequate monitoring” of the mission mode projects by it, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report — Performance Audit on ‘Management and Outcome of Mission Mode Projects in DRDO’ — was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, the statement said.

“The Performance Audit of Mission Mode Projects, inter alia, brought out time and cost overrun in completion of projects, irregular closure of projects declaring them successful despite non-achievement of one or more key objectives/parameters, and taking up of new projects for realising the unachieved objectives of earlier closed projects declared as successful,” the statement said.

Mission mode (MM) projects are taken up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as high priority projects based on specific user requirements with a definite time frame for their completion. These projects depend on technologies that are already available, proven and readily accessible within DRDO or from abroad at a short notice, it said.

The report has highlighted that despite the fact that MM projects have a very high outcome certainty due to ready availability of underlying technology, there were “considerable delays” in initiation and sanction of such projects by DRDO.

“In 119 out of 178 projects, the original time schedules could not be adhered to. In 49 cases, the additional time was in fact more than 100 per cent of the original time frame,” the statement said.

“Overall, the delays ranged from 16 to 500 per cent and extension of time for completion of projects was taken multiple times. Time overruns in completion of MM projects, where technologies are either available or easily accessible, defeats the purpose of taking them up as an MM Project,” it added.

“The report has brought out inefficiencies in the planning process by DRDO as well as raised issues of inadequate monitoring of the MM projects by the DRDO. The inefficiencies in overall project management have resulted in several instances of cost overruns, over-assessment of anticipated benefits of projects, and delay in submission of closure reports,” the statement said.