A high-level review meeting of the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) was held on Tuesday to address key issues impacting mega infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The deliberations focused on resolving critical inter-ministerial and inter-governmental bottlenecks through coordinated efforts, with the aim of accelerating project implementation across both states.

A total of 18 critical issues pertaining to 09 infrastructure projects—collectively valued at over Rs 49.04 billion—were reviewed during the meeting.

Among the key projects discussed was the Multi-Product Pipeline project from Irugur (Tamil Nadu) to Devangonthi (Karnataka), with an estimated investment of Rs 17.32 billion. The pipeline spans multiple districts in Tamil Nadu—Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Erode, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Salem, and Tiruppur—and further extends into Kolar and Bengaluru Rural in Karnataka. The project faced three key land acquisition concerns and one forest clearance issue in Tamil Nadu, which were taken up for resolution to ensure timely progress.

Another project of national importance reviewed was the 5G/4G network expansion initiative by Reliance Jio. Designed to bring advanced digital connectivity to remote and underserved areas, including critical zones such as Siachen, the project also aims to bolster existing 4G infrastructure. The meeting focused on resolving pending forest and wildlife clearance issues, in coordination with the concerned State Governments.

The meeting was chaired by Principal Economic Advisor, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Praveen Mahto, and witnessed participation from senior officials of central ministries, state governments, and project proponents. 

Mahto emphasised the government’s commitment to strengthening the institutional framework for timely project monitoring and execution. He urged project proponents to proactively leverage the PMG portal.

He reiterated that collaborative efforts between Central Ministries, State Authorities, and private stakeholders are vital to ensuring efficient, time-bound infrastructure development that contributes to the vision of a developed and digitally empowered India.