Six infrastructure projects, including roads and railways, with a total value of Rs 520 billion, have been recommended for approval under the PM Gati Shakti initiative. This brings the total number of projects assessed under this initiative to 112, with a cumulative value of approximately Rs 11.53 trillion since its launch.
These six projects were reviewed during the 56th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting held on September 27. The NPG, which convenes regularly, evaluates infrastructure projects to ensure they align with multi-modality, synchronisation of efforts, and comprehensive development in their respective locations.
PM Gati Shakti was introduced to establish an integrated infrastructure, aiming to reduce logistics costs. All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects requiring investments exceeding Rs 5 billion are channelled through the NPG. Approval from the NPG is a prerequisite before the project can be cleared by the Public Investment Board (PIB) or the Department of Expenditure under the finance ministry.
The majority of projects recommended by the NPG pertain to roads, railways, and urban development. The National Infrastructure Master Plan (NMP) includes extensive geospatial data encompassing physical and social infrastructure, as well as land records, all in one accessible location. This facilitates quicker planning and improved design to maximise the impact of investments.
The NPG comprises representatives from various connectivity infrastructure ministries and departments, with the heads of network planning divisions working together to ensure unified planning and proposal integration. Before proceeding to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, all these departments seek approval from the NPG. Following NPG clearance, projects undergo the standard approval process involving the finance ministry and the Cabinet.
The portal for the initiative provides access to over 1,400 layers of data, encompassing land, ports, forests, highways, and more. Its utilisation by different ministries and states is on the rise, contributing to better project planning and coordination.
