A total of 106 major infrastructure projects from various ministries, collectively valued at Rs 11 lakh crore, have been recommended for approval under the PM GatiShakti initiative in the current fiscal year, according to an official statement released on Thursday (September 14).
These project recommendations have been put forward by the Network Planning Group (NPG), which was established as part of the PM GatiShakti initiative launched in October 2021. During the 55th NPG meeting, six projects were assessed, including three from both the Railways and Road Transport and Highways ministries, totaling Rs 14,081 crore in cost.
Since the inception of the PM GatiShakti approach, the NPG has assessed a total of 106 projects with an overall value of approximately Rs 11 lakh crore.
The NPG conducts bi-weekly meetings to evaluate infrastructure projects, aiming for multi-modality, synchronization of efforts, and comprehensive development in and around the project areas. The initiative’s primary goal is to create integrated infrastructure to reduce logistics costs. All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects requiring investments exceeding Rs 500 crore are routed through the NPG.
Approval from the NPG is a prerequisite before projects can be cleared by the Public Investment Board (PIB) or the Department of Expenditure under the finance ministry. The majority of the projects recommended by the group are related to roads, railways, and urban development.
40 road projects, 40 railway projects and 8 urban development projects approved
Specifically, 40 road projects with a total investment of Rs 3.65 lakh crore, 40 railway projects worth Rs 95,704 crore, and 8 urban development projects valued at Rs 79,016 crore have been approved. The National Master Plan (NMP) integrates geospatial data, infrastructure information, and land records to streamline planning and enhance the impact of investments.
The NPG comprises representatives from various connectivity infrastructure ministries and departments, with their network planning division heads, ensuring unified planning and proposal integration. Departments must seek NPG approval before creating a Detailed Project Report (DPR) at the planning stage. After NPG clearance, projects undergo the standard approval process within the finance ministry and the Cabinet.
The PM GatiShakti portal provides access to over 1,450 layers of data, including land, ports, forests, highways, and more. Its usage by different ministries and states is on the rise, contributing to improved project planning.
