High-Level PM Gati Shakti Meet Spurs Rs 15K Crore Infra Projects

In a High-level Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting convened under the national master plan of PM Gati Shakti, discussions centered around four infrastructure projects with a combined value of Rs 15,000 crore. Among these projects were two railway line initiatives. The initial project entails the development of a Greenfield railway line spanning 127 km in the state of Jharkhand. Its objective is to address the last-mile connectivity challenge to existing coal blocks, ultimately leading to a reduction in travel distance and time.

The second project involved a brownfield railway line in Jharkhand and West Bengal, benefiting logistical movement in the industrial belt of Burnpur, Durgapur, and Asansol. This initiative is aimed at alleviating congestion on the existing railway line, providing additional traffic capacity and generating extra revenue through detention savings. As per Gati Shakti principles, the projects were discussed to promote multimodal connectivity to the manufacturing and commercial zones, while uplifting the socio-economic development of the region through an improved logistics ecosystem.

Additionally, the meeting addressed two road projects with a cumulative road length exceeding 300 km. One of these projects is located in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, with the goal of improving socio-economic conditions in tribal districts and a district affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). This road project anticipates a reduction in current travel distance by 11% (from 153.45 km to 136.62 km) and a substantial decrease in travel time by 56% (from 4.2 hours to 1.85 hours).

The second road project, situated in Assam and Mizoram, offers an alternative connectivity route in the region, resulting in a 20% reduction in length (from 215 km to 172 km) and a 50% reduction in travel time (from 5 hours to 2.5 hours) over present connectivity. This road is poised to benefit industrial parks and the Bamboo Technology Park in the region. A Rail Sagar Corridor programme by the Ministry of Railway was also taken up with the objective of increasing the Rail and ports-based cargo share by 2031, improving modal shift for Railways and contributing to cleaner ways of freight movement.

Chaired by Sumita Dawra, the Special Secretary (Logistics) at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the meeting saw the participation of NPG members from diverse infrastructure Ministries and Departments. These included the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Ministry of Power, Department of Telecommunications, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, along with representatives from NITI Aayog.