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PROJECT APPRAISAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION

1.Project Appraisal and Management Division (PAMD) was set up in 1972 to institutionalize the system of project appraisal in Government of India. The Division is mainly responsible to undertake techno-economic appraisal of all plan project /schemes of Ministries/Departments of Government of India to facilitate investment decision by the Expenditure Finance Committee/Public Investment Board. The Investment proposals of Ministry of Defence, Department of Atomic Energy and Space are out of purview of appraisal by EFC/PIB.

2. Besides, PAMD also develop formats and guidelines for the submission of proposals for projects / programmes and for their techno- economic evaluation, undertake support research studies with a view to improving methodology and procedure for appraisal of projects and programmes, associate with Subject Divisions in Planning Commission in examining the proposals received from Departments/Ministries for grant of "in principle" approval for new schemes etc.

3. As a part of techno-economic appraisal, PAMD presently appraises Central Sector/Centrally Sponsored schemes/projects costing Rs.50 crore and above, and prepares Appraisal Notes in consultation with the Subject Division of the Planning Commission, before these are considered by the Public Investment Board (PIB), Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), Committee of Public Investment Board (CPIB) and Expanded Board of Railways (EBR), depending upon the nature and size of the proposal. The outer limit for issue of appraisal note by the PAMD has been fixed at six weeks from the date of receipt of PIB/EFC proposal.

4. In pursuance of the recommendations of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Standing Committees were constituted in Ministries / Departments to examine the Revised Cost Estimates proposals, wherein time overrun and cost overrun have occurred, to assign responsibility for the time and cost overruns. PAMD's officer is nominated as a member on the Standing Committee, to represent Planning Commission.

5. The Division is headed by an Adviser and supported by Joint Advisers, Deputy Advisers, Senior Research Officers, Research Officers, Section Officer and other supporting staff. The work amongst various officers is allocated as far as possible on sectoral basis taking into account the workload at a given point of time.

6. The Division has a well-documented collection of appraisal notes (Chronologically arranged), sectoral volumes of appraisal notes, records of the minutes of the meetings of the Public Investment Board. The Division also published in 1992, "Guidelines for the Preparation of Feasibility Reports", for Industry (including Mines), Coal and Power sectors. Division maintains all the Appraisal Notes issued since inception of PAMD in bound form for reference and record.

7. EFC/PIB proposals pending for appraisal in PAMD and list of Appraisal Notes issued are placed at the Website – "EFC/PIB Proposals" of Planning Commission. This is updated weekly.