meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) was held to evaluate three projects from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and two projects from the Railway Ministry, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said on Friday.

At the 66th NPG meeting, the officials evaluated the Highway projects in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam as well as the New Broad Gauge (BG) line between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and doubling of line in Uttar Pradesh.

The meeting was conducted under the chairpersonship of Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Rajeev Singh Thakur. The project details were examined based on the planning/mapping on PM GatiShakti NMP.

The key outcomes of the evaluation exercise were discussed with the objective of improving connectivity with various economic/social nodes ensuring first/last mile connectivity, and multi-modal infrastructure with the perspective of the whole of the government approach, according to a statement.

The first project from MoRTH pertains to the up-gradation of NH 216H in Andhra Pradesh. This Brownfield project spans approximately 120.85 kms, connecting Pedana to Laxmipuram.

The objective is to enhance interconnectivity, particularly for Machilipatnam port and Gudiviada and Machilipatnam Railway station.

The second project from MoRTH relates to providing a bypass around Indore city. The project, spanning 141 km through Dhar, Indore, and Dewas districts of Madhya Pradesh is a greenfield project.

The corridor, starting near Khandwa village and terminating at NH-52 near Bhardala, aims to reduce traffic congestion in Indore, offering an alternative route and ensuring seamless transportation of goods and people.

The third project is a ring road of approximately 64 kms, around Guwahati city. The proposal includes an elevated structure at Jorabat and a new bridge across Brahmaputra.

This project will contribute to decongestion of the Guwahati city and major junctions under Kamrup metropolitan district resulting in reduced travel time and vehicle operating cost, offering a solution to congestion and improving connectivity.

Under the Ministry of Railways, the New BG Line project stands out as a Greenfield initiative, covering 309 km across Maharashtra (Nashik and Dhule Districts) and Madhya Pradesh (Badwani, Khargone, Dhar, Indore Districts), connecting existing rail head stations of Manmad and Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow).

The new rail link is poised to open a direct route from Mumbai to Indore, fostering improved connectivity and socio-economic growth in the backward areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The Phaphamau-Unchahar doubling project in Uttar Pradesh covers 72.27 km across Allahabad, Pratapgarh, and RaeBareli district. This brownfield project, aims to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, and enhance operating efficiency.