PM GatiShakti charts path for multimodal connectivity in economic zones

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways utilizes PM Gati Shakti for ground surveys, land records, and highway alignments, resulting in significant time and cost savings in project planning.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on December 20, emphasised the substantial impact of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) on driving economic development through robust infrastructure planning and execution.

The government's commitment to this initiative is underscored by its potential to enhance cost competitiveness, promote economic growth, attract foreign investments, and mitigate investment risks.

The minister highlighted an ongoing detailed mapping process for integrated planning in economic zones, including textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, and industrial corridors.

This initiative aims to facilitate seamless connectivity and is being embraced by states and union territories through an institutional mechanism.

Various ministries have reported positive feedback on the implementation of PM Gati Shakti. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for instance, utilises the platform for ground surveys, land records, and highway alignments, resulting in significant time and cost savings in project planning.

Similarly, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas employs the electronic Detail Route Survey (eDRS) for quicker report generation, and the Ministry of Railways has expedited Final Location Surveys (FLS) in the fiscal year 2021-22 compared to the previous year.

The institutional mechanism of PM Gati Shakti has been embraced at the state and union territory levels, with meetings organized to assess last and first-mile connectivity gaps, ensuring the seamless movement of people, goods, and services.

PM Gati Shakti, launched on October 13, 2021, focuses on establishing multimodal connectivity infrastructure for diverse economic zones. It integrates detailed databases of trunk and utility infrastructure, streamlining planning through the GIS-enabled PM Gati Shakti platform.

The National Logistics Policy, 2022, complements PM Gati Shakti by improving efficiency in services and human resources, forming a data-driven decision support mechanism for enhanced logistics efficiency. PM Gati Shakti operates as a Whole-of-Government approach, fostering collaboration among ministries for integrated infrastructure planning.