On September 2, 2023, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, initiated weekly review meetings with States and Union Territories to encourage wider adoption of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP). These meetings aim to monitor and provide support for the efficient utilization of their State Master Plan (SMP) portals for infrastructure planning and implementation.
A review meeting for the Western and Central Zones States/UTs was held in New Delhi on August 31, 2023. The meeting highlighted the active participation of States/UTs like Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
During the meeting, the Special Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT, emphasized the significance of utilizing the GatiShakti NMP/SMP portal and adopting a comprehensive approach to infrastructure and social sector planning. The benefits of the NMP, including optimized route planning, enhanced visibility of intersections, and time/cost savings, were discussed.
The states were encouraged to hold regular institutional meetings, ensure data quality on the NMP/SMP portal, use SMP for project planning, and align State Logistics Policies with the National Logistics Policy for a holistic focus on logistics in public policy. The approach can expedite project implementation by addressing challenges like land acquisition, approvals, utility coordination, and administrative assistance. States were advised to identify pilot areas for implementing planning and analysis through the PM GatiShakti NMP/SMP.
The Network Planning Group under the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan has given the green light to 100 projects valued at Rs 5.89 trillion. These projects encompass 40 road initiatives worth Rs 3.65 trillion, 40 railway projects valued at Rs 95,704 crore, and eight urban development schemes worth Rs 79,016 crore.
Every two weeks, the inter-ministerial Network Planning Group convenes to assess infrastructure projects, aiming to ensure coordination across different modes of transportation, harmonization of efforts, and holistic growth in and around project sites. The majority of projects recommended by this group focus on roads, railways, and urban development.
To date, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has strategized for over 1,400 km of roads, and the Ministry of Railways has outlined plans for over 13,000 km of tracks utilizing the National Master Plan (NMP). The NMP integrates various layers of geospatial data, consolidating physical and social infrastructure data along with land records.
Leveraging this comprehensive data makes planning new projects around existing infrastructure smoother, allowing for pre-emptive consideration of construction challenges. It also enables designing projects to have a more significant impact on the region.
The Ministry of Railways has reported increased speed in concluding location surveys. In the fiscal year 2022, it completed 427 surveys compared to 57 in the prior year. Regarding detailed route surveys by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the process has become faster and simpler using the NMP’s electronic Detailed Route Survey (DRS) functionality.
Inputs from various ministries ensure that projects align with existing or planned infrastructure in the region, optimizing the benefits derived from the proposed investments.
The Gati Shakti Master Plan, launched in 2021, facilitates coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects, fostering seamless collaboration between various projects in areas like industrial corridors, roads, railways, ports, telecom, urban development, petroleum pipelines, renewable energy, and the social sector.
Photo source: PIB.gov.in
