As many as 76 key infrastructure projects worth about Rs 5.14 lakh crore of different ministries have been evaluated under the PM Gati Shakti initiative in the last one year, a senior official said on Monday. These projects have been recommended by the Network Planning Group (NPG) constituted under the PM Gati Shakti initiative launched in October 2021.
Special secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Sumita Dawra said that the usage of the PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan has increased by the central ministers and states also. On October 13, 2021, the plan was launched with the aim to develop an integrated infrastructure to reduce logistic costs. All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects, entailing investments of over Rs 500 crore, are routed through NPG.
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These projects include Gurdaspur-Jammu-Srinagar natural gas pipeline worth Rs 6,931 crore; the Chennai-Trichy-Tuticorin Exp project worth Rs 30,502 crore, and Indo-Nepal Border - Haldia Corridor (Rs 30,233 crore), she said. NPG has representations from various connectivity infrastructure ministries/ departments, involving their heads of network planning division for unified planning and integration of the proposals.
All these departments approach NPG first for approval before making a DPR (detailed project report) at the planning stage. After the NPG's clearance, the project follows the normal procedure of approval by the finance ministry and the Cabinet, depending upon the project.
Over 1,450 layers of data, including those related to land, ports, forest and highways are available on the portal, Dawra added. Usage of the portal by different ministries, including social sector departments and states, is increasing, and it is helping in the proper planning of projects, she said. "76 key infrastructure projects relating to railways, roads, shipping, industrial corridors, housing and urban affairs etc worth Rs 5.14 lakh crore have been evaluated," she added.
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