The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in the Ministry of Finance has traditionally had two divisions overseeing policy matters relating to the infrastructure sector; the Infrastructure Policy and Planning Division, and the Infrastructure Support and Development Division. These two divisions are now being moved out of their traditional home in North Block to a new office in the STC Building on Janpath to become part of a new set-up called the Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS). The IFS will have three sections: Infrastructure financing, sectoral studies and capacity building.
As the IFS will still function as an extended arm of the DEA, what then was the need to set up a new body? Six reasons suggest themselves.
One, the need for a standalone
