News Brief
India's Mega Infra Push: NPG Under PM GatiShakti Evaluates 11 Projects In Road, Railway, IT and Metro Sectors
National Highway (Representative Image) (@nitin_gadkari/Twitter)
The 88th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG), chaired by DPIIT secretary E Srinivas convened today (1 March) to evaluate infrastructure projects across Road, Railway, Information Technology, and Metro sectors.
The meeting focused on enhancing multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency in alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP).
Key Projects Evaluated
The NPG reviewed eleven projects, including seven road projects, two railway projects, one IT project, and one metro project.
These initiatives aim to boost logistical efficiency, reduce travel times, and enhance socio-economic benefits.
Road Infrastructure Projects (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways):
Four-Lane National Highway from Kishanganj to Bahadurganj (Bihar) – The road Project is a greenfield development with alignment length of 23.649 km in Kishanganj, Bihar.
The road will connect NH-27 and NH-327E, enhancing regional mobility, reducing congestion and enhance trade connectivity between Bihar and West Bengal. The project includes flyovers, major bridges, service roads and underpasses to ensure smooth vehicular movement and improved accessibility.
Northern Portion of Hyderabad Regional Ring Road Expressway (Telangana) – The Northern Portion of Hyderabad Regional Ring Road Expressway is a Greenfield expressway project under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
It aims to develop a 158.64 km long 4-lane access-controlled expressway connecting Girmapur village (on NH-65) in Sangareddy district to Choutuppal (on NH-65) in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, passing through Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts in Telangana.
It is designed to provide a high-speed corridor with grade separators, interchanges. Additionally, it will facilitate better linkages to key economic nodes, including SEZs, mega food parks, pharma hubs and textile clusters.
Four-Lane Access Controlled Sirhind-Sehna Section (Punjab) – The project includes development of the four-lane access-controlled Sirhind-Sehna section of NH-205AG as part of the Mohali-Barnala Inter Corridor Route in Punjab.
The project has alignment length of 106.92 km and is a key component of the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I, providing an alternative to congested urban roadways and linking critical expressways such as the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and the Amritsar-Jamnagar Economic Corridor.
Six-Lane Connectivity to Visakhapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh) – The proposed project consists of development of a six-lane connectivity road from Sabbavaram to Sheelanagar Junction in Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh, under Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The project with length of 12.66 km, is designed to ease congestion on NH-16 by providing a dedicated corridor for port-bound traffic, thereby reducing interference with local commuters in Visakhapatnam city.
The Greenfield corridor (97 per cent) will ensure efficient cargo evacuation and improve overall logistical operations for Visakhapatnam Port.
Jaipur Northern Ring Road (Rajasthan) – The proposed greenfield project is aligned outside the urban core of Jaipur, connecting key corridors including Ajmer Road, Agra Road and the Jaipur Bandikui Spur.
This ring road will alleviate traffic congestion in the northwest region of the city by diverting heavy commercial traffic from NH-48 and NH-52.
Additionally, the design incorporates major and minor bridges, toll plazas and service roads, augmenting connectivity enhancements for both residents and businesses.
This brownfield project with greenfield bypasses and realignments spans 62.822 km in Surendranagar district and aims to enhance connectivity between the Saurashtra and Kachchh regions.
The corridor links key highways, namely Ahmedabad- Viramgam-Maliya (SH-7) and Ahmedabad-Rajkot (NH-47).
Six-Lane Zirakpur Bypass (Punjab & Haryana) – The proposed Zirakpur Bypass is a 6-lane highway project that will connect NH-7 (Zirakpur-Patiala) and NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo), spanning 19.2 km across Punjab and Haryana.
The project aims to alleviate heavy congestion in Zirakpur, Panchkula and surrounding areas. The bypass will include three-level interchanges at both ends, multiple culverts, vehicular overpasses and underpasses, ensuring smooth traffic flow.
Railway Projects (Ministry of Railways):
New Broad Gauge Line from Bhagalpur to Jamalpur (Bihar) – The New Broad Gauge (BG) Line from Bhagalpur to Jamalpur (52.810 km) is a brownfield project.
The project aims to enhance railway capacity and connectivity in Bihar's Bhagalpur and Munger districts.
The project will connect Bhagalpur, Sultanganj and Jamalpur, facilitating efficient freight and passenger movement while reducing congestion on existing railway lines.
Doubling of Aurangabad-Parbhani Railway Line (Maharashtra) – The proposed doubling of the Aurangabad-Parbhani Railway Line (177.29 km) is a brownfield expansion project.
The project aims to decongest the Vijayawada-Balharshah (HDN) and Secunderabad-Mumbai corridors, providing an efficient alternative for freight and passenger movement.
The line runs through Aurangabad, Jalna and Parbhani districts in Maharashtra, benefiting industries, tourism and trade in the region.
Technology and Urban Infrastructure Projects:
National Knowledge Network Phase-II (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) – The National Knowledge Network (NKN) Phase-II is an advanced high-speed network initiative by the Central government, aimed at strengthening the backbone of national research, education and e-Governance infrastructure.
The network facilitates seamless connectivity for research institutions, universities and government departments, ensuring uninterrupted access to data resources and digital platforms.
GIFT City Metro Corridor (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) – GIFT City Metro Corridor, having length of 7.585 km and to be implemented in two phases, is designed to enhance urban mobility for the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gujarat.
This will yield significant socio-economic benefits such as reduced travel time, lower fuel consumption and a substantial drop in vehicular emissions and accidents.
