The government may not achieve the Eleventh Five Year Plan's investment target of $500 billion in infrastructure due to the global (economic) downturn, a senior government official said.

"It is very difficult to achieve the target as many projects kicked-off very late...even many projects' bidding process started late. The projects were delayed due to the global (economic) downturn," advisor (infrastructure), Planning Commission, Gajendra Haldea, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here today.

Haldea said that resource generation would not be a costraint for the Government and it is committed to build a world-class infrastructure for Indian industry.

"Efforts are going on to complete all mega projects by 2012," he said.

National Highways of 46,000 kilometres at an investment of Rs2,36,000 crore would be completed by 2012, he said, adding 21,036 kilometres has been approved through Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes.

To achieve the target, Haldea said "the government has decided to involve State Governments to accelerate the National Highway projects."

Haldea said the government is likely invest Rs32,00 crore in airport works, Rs40,000-crore in railways and 88,000-crore in ports by 2012.

"Our aim through modernisation, upgradation of ports, airports and highways in the 11th Plan Period is to make India a world-class manufacturing hub with the best of infrastracture facilities," he said.

Despite making progress, the country still experienced a deficit in the infrastracture sector.

"In the power sector, we experience a 16% peaking deficit and a 10% energy shortage," he said.

The government has already cleared 138 central and state projects at an investment of Rs1,18,830-crore by March 2009, he said.