The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved PM GatiShakti National Master Plan including institutional framework for rolling out, implementation, monitoring and support mechanism for providing multi-modal connectivity.

The PM GatiShakti was launched last week to speed up infrastructure projects. It was intended to break Departmental Silos and bring in more holistic and integrated planning and execution of projects with a view to address the issues of Multi Modal connectivity and last mile connectivity.

It would not only bring down the logistic cost, but would also translate into enormous economic gains to consumers, farmers, and other stake holders. The PM GatiShakti had  proposed implementation framework including setting up of an ECOs (Empowered Group of Secretaries), a NPG (Network Planning Group, and a technical Support Unit (TSU) with required technical competence.

The Empowered Group of Secretaries, which would review and monitor implementation of infrastructure projects, would be headed by Union Cabinet secretary and consist of secretaries of 18 ministries as members and Head of Logistic Division as Member convenor.

The EGOS has been mandated to review and monitor implementation of the PM GatiShakti NMP to ensure logistics efficiency. It is also empowered to prescribe framework and norms for undertaking any subsequent amendments to the NMP.

It would frame the procedure and definitive framework for synchronization of various activities, and  ensure that various initiatives of infrastructure development are part of the common integrated digital platform.

Besides this, it would look at the interventions required to meet the demand side, in efficiently transporting bulk goods on the requirement of various Ministries like Steel, Coal, and Fertilizer.

The CCEA has also approved formation, composition and terms of reference for Network Planning Group (NPG) consisting of heads of Network Planning wing of respective infrastructure ministries and it will assist the EGOS.

Further, in view of the complexities involved in overall integration of networks, enhancing optimization to avoid duplication of works for holistic development of any region as well as reducing logistics costs through micro-plan detailing, the Technical Support Unit (TSU) is approved for providing the required competencies.

The structure of TSU, as approved by the Union Cabinet, would have domain experts from various infrastructure sectors as Aviation, Maritime, Public Transport, Rail, ports, Roads and Highways. The TSU would also have Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) as Urban and Transport Planning, Structures (Roads, Bridges & Buildings), Power, Pipeline, GIS, ICT, Finance/Market PPP, logistics, and Data Analytics.

With this approval, the roll out of PM GatiShakti will get further momentum which will result in holistic and integrated planning framework for infrastructure development in the country.

With this approval, PM GatiShakti would bring in various stakeholders together and help integrate different modes of transportation. PM Gatishakti NMP for multi-modal connectivity will ensure holistic governance at the Centre of which are people of India, industries of India, manufacturers of India and farmers of India.

Ends.