Gati Shakti Initiative : By Network Planning Group (NPG)

News Highlights

• All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects, entailing investment of over ₹500 crore, would now route through the network planning group (NPG) constituted under the PM Gati Shakti initiative with the Finance Ministry issuing the necessary instructions and creation of the national master plan digital platform, an official said.
• Benefit 
  • This will help bring down the logistics cost and promote effective and efficient planning of infrastructure projects.

Network Planning Group (NPG)

• NPG consists of heads of the network planning wing of respective infrastructure ministries and it will assist the empowered group of secretaries (EGOS), which is headed by the cabinet secretary.
•  Functions
  • NPG will clear the projects as all infrastructure projects would have to come here. 
  • All the departments will approach the NPG first for approval before making a DPR (detailed project reports) at the planning stage,  adding after the NPG’s clearance, the project would follow the normal procedure of approval by the finance ministry and the Cabinet, depending upon the projects.

Gati Shakti Initiative

• PM Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, essentially a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.

• The multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated and seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another. 
• It will facilitate the last mile connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.
• Vision
  • It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc. 
  • Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive. 
  • It will also leverage technology extensively including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).

Targets Under Gati Shakti Initiative

• 11 industrial corridors and two additional defence corridors (Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh) have been established, resulting in a 1.7 lakh crore turnover in defence industry.

• There are around 38 electronics industrial clusters and 109 pharmaceutical clusters.
• The total cargo handled at Indian ports has increased to 1759 MTPA.
• Over 200 airports, helipads, and water aerodromes have been included.
• Providing 4G internet access to all villages
• The gas pipeline network will be expanded by 17,000 kilometers.

Need of Gati Shakti Initiative

• Due to a lack of coordination and advanced information exchange, departments think and work in silos, a large gap between macro planning and micro implementation exists.
• High logistics costs reduce the competitiveness of India’s exports. For example, according to studies, India’s logistics expenses are over 13-14 percent of GDP, compared to 7-8 percent in wealthy nations.
• The water department dug up newly-built roadways to lay pipes, demonstrating poor infrastructure design. This has had a negative impact on the country’s road infrastructure and transportation.
• Help to generate employment for youth.

Significance of Gati Shakti Initiative

• Government Support 
  • Support from the Centre in establishing an institutional framework in a timely way and implementing projects under the PM Gati Shakti national master plan for multimodal connectivity will benefit the country’s overall infrastructure.
• Ease of Living
  • Strive to create Next-Generation Infrastructure that increases both the ease of doing business and the ease of living.
  • People, commodities, and services will be able to flow seamlessly from one mode of transportation to another thanks to multi-modal connectivity.
  • It will improve infrastructure connectivity at the last mile and reduce people’s commuting time.
• Economic Boost
  • It will generate numerous job opportunities and stimulate the economy.
  • PM Gati Shakti will also ensure that the country’s resources are best utilised because everyone would be able to make informed decisions. ‘Infrastructure-based development’ will result in a significant boost in India’s economic strength, as well as numerous new job opportunities.
  • Tourism development, especially spiritual and medical tourism, relied heavily on infrastructure.
• Ensure Defence 
  • Infrastructure development under Gati Shakti ensures easy mobility of troops to borders.

Way Forward

• For the economic development and standard of living of people in the country infrastructure plays a vital role , so Gati Shakti is an important step.

Pic Courtesy : PIB , Business Standards

Content Source : The Hindu