In an official statement, it was revealed that six infrastructure projects encompassing roads and railways, with a combined value of Rs 52,000 crore, have been proposed for approval within the framework of the PM Gati Shakti initiative. This development raises the tally of projects evaluated by the Network Planning Group (NPG) to 112, with a cumulative estimated worth of about Rs 11.53 lakh crore since the inception of PM Gati Shakti.
During the 56th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting held on September 27, six projects were evaluated. This meeting, conducted within the framework of PM Gati Shakti, scrutinized project proposals, which included four from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and two from the Ministry of Railways. The total project cost for these six projects was approximately Rs 52,000 crore, as disclosed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The inter-ministerial Network Planning Group (NPG) convenes bi-weekly meetings to assess infrastructure projects, fostering a multi-modal strategy, synchronized endeavors, and holistic progress in the project’s surrounding areas. The PM Gati Shakti initiative was introduced to establish a unified infrastructure system with the goal of diminishing logistics expenses. All logistics and connectivity infrastructure ventures with investments surpassing Rs 500 crore are directed through the NPG for evaluation and endorsement.
Projects must obtain approval from the NPG before they can proceed to the Public Investment Board (PIB) or the Department of Expenditure within the Ministry of Finance for clearance. The bulk of projects endorsed by this group typically fall within the domains of roads, railways, and urban development.
The Network Planning Group (NPG) plays a pivotal role by harnessing diverse layers of geospatial data, consolidating physical and social infrastructure details along with land records into a central repository. This method streamlines the planning and design phases, ultimately optimizing the efficacy of investments.
Comprising representatives from various ministries and departments responsible for connectivity infrastructure, the NPG features heads of network planning divisions collaborating on unified planning and proposal integration. All these departments seek NPG approval before initiating the Detailed Project Report (DPR) during the planning stage. Once NPG provides its clearance, the project proceeds through the standard approval process involving the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet.
The NPG utilizes a portal that grants access to an extensive database comprising more than 1,400 data layers, encompassing details pertaining to land, ports, forests, and highways. The adoption of this portal by numerous ministries, including those in the social sector and various states, has been on a consistent rise. This has significantly facilitated the streamlined planning of projects, contributing to enhanced efficiency.
Source: financialexpress.com