Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways & Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Nitin Gadkari had said that his ministry would develop 35 Multi-modal Logistic Parks (MMLPs) in the country. The work for the preparation of detailed project report (DPR) and feasibility report was already underway and special purpose vehicles (SPVs) would be formed for all these MMLPs, with professionally qualified CEOs being appointed for each separately, he added. Gadkari was addressing at the foundation laying event for India’s first multi-modal logistic park at Jogighopa in Assam on October 20 through video conferencing. The Rs 6.93 billion-park would provide direct air, road, rail and waterways connectivity to stakeholders. The park is being developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana of the government. Gadkari informed that the initial report and master plan were ready for the 346-acre MMLP with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in the Wardha Dry Port area of Nagpur. Feasibility reports were being prepared for the Bengaluru MMLP, Sangrur warehouse complex in Punjab, Surat, Mumbai, Indore, Patna, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Coimbatore. A DPR was in the works for the MMLP near the Chennai port while studies were underway for the MMLPs in Pune and Ludhiana. Twenty-two other MMLPs were proposed in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Kandla, Vadodara, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jullundur, Bhatinda, Hissar, Ambala, Kota, Jaipur, Jagatsinghpur, Sundarnagar, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Nashik, Panaji, Bhopal, Raipur and Jammu. The Jogighopa MMLP, which is being developed on 317-acre land along the River Brahmaputra, is the first such facility in the country. Gadkari said the first phase of construction was scheduled for completion by 2023. He informed that works worth Rs 2.80 billion had already been awarded, including Rs 1.71 billion for road construction, Rs 870 million for erecting the structure and Rs 230 million for railway lines. The construction work would commence from November. The minister also said the project would lead to the creation of direct and indirect jobs for nearly 2 million youth of the Northeastern state. The minister added that the distance of 154 km between Jogighopa and Guwahati would be covered by making a four-lane road on this stretch. Besides, a 3-km rail line would connect Jogighopa station to the MMLP while another 3-km rail link would connect it to the inland waterways terminal (IWT). The road to the newly developed Rupsi airport would also be upgraded to four-lanes for easier connectivity. He said the MMLP will have all the facilities like a warehouse, railway siding, cold storage, customs clearance house, yard facility, workshops, petrol pumps, truck parking, administrative building, boarding lodging, eating joints and a water treatment plant. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal presided over the virtual function, which was attended by Union Ministers of State Dr. Jitendra Singh, Gen (Retd) Dr. VK Singh and Rameshwar Teli. Besides, ministers of the Assam government, members of parliament, MLAs and senior central and state government officials were also present on the occasion.