BJP's 2024 Manifesto Unveils Ambitious Infrastructure Plans For Railways, Aviation, Roads, And Beyond

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP chief J P Nadda, unveiled the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) manifesto at the party's headquarters in Delhi on 14 April 2024.

The BJP's 2024 election manifesto presents an ambitious vision for India's infrastructure development and energy sectors. With a strong emphasis on continuity and progress, the ruling party has reaffirmed its commitment to furthering the country's infrastructure expansion across various key sectors.

The BJP underscores a robust commitment to expanding the bullet train and metro networks. The party also highlights plans to transform airports into multi-modal hubs.

Additionally, the manifesto pledges to foster the growth of domestic shipbuilding, aviation, and railway manufacturing industries. Furthermore, the BJP promises the creation of new satellite towns near major metro cities across India.

Here are the key promises made by the BJP in its manifesto for the railways, aviation, roads, shipping, energy, and urban infrastructure sectors:

RAILWAYS

Railway Track Expansion: Over the past decade, India has laid 31,000 km of railway tracks. With an ongoing addition of over 5,000 km annually, this pace of expansion is to be continued in the coming years, according to BJP Sankalp Patra 2024.

Super App for Trains: A super app will be launched to provide all trains related services to users in a single app.

Global Railway Manufacturing Hub: The BJP aims to promote manufacturing, research, and development in the railway sector to position India as a leading global railway manufacturing hub.

World-Class Stations: The party plans to expand the redevelopment of railway stations to world-class standards, covering all major and medium-sized stations.

High-Frequency Trains: The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) between Delhi and Meerut will be expanded, and other regional connectivity projects will be undertaken in major cities to ensure robust connectivity, and integrate the regional economies.

Bullet Trains: Feasibility studies for bullet train corridors in north, south, and east India will be initiated based on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project's experience.

Metro Network Expansion: The metro network in major urban centres will be expanded to ensure last-mile connectivity.

New Age Trains: The network of Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat trains will be expanded, and Vande Sleeper trains will be introduced for overnight journeys.

Expansion of Indigenous Kavach Train Protection System: BJP to focus on scaling up manufacturing, design, and installation of Kavach Systems.

AVIATION

Formulating a Master Plan for Airport Transformation: The Amrit Kaal Civil Aviation Master Plan will be introduced to transform our airports into regional-international hubs, providing single-point connectivity to designated regions worldwide, with the vision to position Bharat as the leading aviation ecosystem of South Asia.

Global Aviation Manufacturing and MRO Hub: Efforts will be made to establish a commercial aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India, along with strengthening maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) activities.

Airport Modernisation: Airports will be transformed into multi-modal hubs with integrated transit facilities.

International Airport Expansion: The number of international airports will be increased, and new airports, helipads, and aerodromes will be developed.

ROADS

Promoting EVs: The ruling party has successfully facilitated the induction of over 30 lakh EVs, currently operational on roads. It will increase the fleets of EVs and will also establish EV charging stations.

Expressways and Ring Roads: Modern road connectivity will be strengthened with 15,000 km of access-controlled highways. Ring roads around major cities will be constructed to improve mobility and decongest cities.

PM Gram Sadak Yojana Expansion: The PM Gram Sadak Yojana will be extended to remote areas to improve connectivity and access to essential services.

Road Safety: Emphasis will be on improving road safety through technological interventions, training, and behavioural change.

SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

Building a Homegrown Shipping Industry: The BJP commits to revamping the legal framework to facilitate the rapid growth of India's shipping industry. The goal is to make the sector globally competitive and boost domestic maritime trade. Dedicated facilities for research, design, and testing will be established to promote shipbuilding.

Inland Waterways Enhancement: The BJP pledges to integrate various inter-ministry initiatives, including the National Waterway Project, Namami Gange, the National River Conservation Plan, Jal Marg Vikas Project, and Arth Ganga, among others. This comprehensive approach aims to double the share of Inland Water Transport in India's transportation network.

Water Metro Expansion: The party plans to expand water metro services to all feasible regions. This expansion aims to enhance water-based public transportation networks and improve overall connectivity.

URBAN INFRA

Affordable Housing: Strengthening of the RERA Act and measures to facilitate home ownership for middle-income families will be implemented.

New Satellite Townships: Creation of new satellite townships near metro cities will be encouraged.

Ease of Mobility: Unified metropolitan transport systems and AI-based traffic management will be implemented to reduce commute time.

Water-Secure Cities: Best practices for wastewater treatment and smart metering will be leveraged to create water-secure cities.

Urban Governance: Long-term infrastructure projects will be initiated through partnerships between the centre, state, and cities.

Modern Regulatory Framework: Creation of modern legislation and urban planning processes using technology will be prioritised.

Global Conference Hubs: Big convention centres will be established to make India a global destination for conferences and exhibitions.

Urban Governance Curriculum: A new curriculum focusing on urban development will be introduced to foster all-round city development.

ENERGY SECTOR

Ensuring Energy Independence by 2047: The BJP pledges to achieve energy independence for India by 2047. This goal will be pursued through a strategic mix of electric mobility, the establishment of a network of charging stations, increased renewable energy production, and improving energy efficiency across sectors.

Implementing PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: The party aims to empower homes across India to run devices such as electric stoves, fans, ACs, and TVs, as well as enable EV charging through solar energy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

Increasing Ethanol Mix for Dual Benefits: Building on the success of the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, the BJP plans to further increase ethanol blending in petrol. This initiative aims to mitigate environmental degradation and provide additional income to farmers.

Expanding Nuclear Energy: The BJP commits to expanding the nuclear energy component in India's energy mix by focusing on developing small modular reactors and increasing investments in nuclear energy production.

Accelerating India's Renewable Energy Transition: The party targets harnessing India’s renewable energy potential with a goal of 500 GW of renewable energy. This will be achieved through the establishment of mega solar parks, wind parks, and the Green Energy Corridor project, among others.

Developing Battery Energy Storage System Infrastructure: To foster renewable energy integration and ensure grid stability and resilience, the BJP plans to incentivise private sector investment in large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems infrastructure.

Increasing Green Hydrogen Production Capacity: With a focus on green hydrogen, the party aims to expand production capacity, develop technologies, and position India as a major green hydrogen production hub.

Establishing Smart Grid: The BJP plans to establish nationwide smart grids integrated with advanced technology, including smart meters and control centres. This initiative aims for efficient and intelligent energy management across the country.

Global Manufacturing Hub in Renewable Energy: To boost India's manufacturing capabilities in clean energy technologies, the BJP pledges to set up a centre of excellence for clean energy technologies. This will position India as a global manufacturing hub for wind, solar, and green hydrogen energy, while also scaling up bio-energy manufacturing facilities from various waste sources.

The BJP's manifesto reflects its vision for a comprehensive infrastructure development plan that aims to transform India's transportation, housing, energy and urban sectors. With the voting for the 2024 general elections starting soon, these promises will be under scrutiny as voters assess the party's plans for the country's future.