Gati Shakti proposes Rs 7.6B Infra Boost: Roads, Rails

Prime Minister Gati Shakti has put forth recommendations for four significant infrastructure projects valued at over Rs 7,600 crore to bolster connectivity within the country. The 54th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting, presided over by Sumita Dawra, the special secretary of logistics at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, examined these projects for expedited implementation. The deliberations involved active engagement from key departments and ministries, including Road Transport and Highways, Railways, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Power. The meeting underscored the necessity of utilizing the Gati Shakti national master plan portal and adopting a comprehensive 'whole of government' approach to infrastructural planning and execution. The assessed projects encompass two road initiatives by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and two railway projects by the Ministry of Railways, totaling a cost of Rs 7,693.17 crore. These projects hold paramount importance in terms of bolstering connectivity to crucial economic and social nodes, and they advocate an area-development strategy. The projects encompass a four-lane Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road in Kerala, contributing to the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor; the Dahod-Bodeli-Vapi corridor, linking to the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway; a new broad gauge railway line between Pushkar-Merta in Rajasthan; and a rail project between Merta City-Ras Railway Stations in Rajasthan. Each initiative is expected to yield reduced travel times, enhanced road networks, and accelerated economic growth in their respective regions, collectively contributing to the overall development and connectivity of the country.