PM Gati Shakti: NPG Accelerates Key Infrastructure Projects With Rs 14,000 Crore Investment Approval

The PM Gati Shakti Master Plan's Network Planning Group (NPG) has given its approval to six highway and railway projects, with a total investment of Rs 14,000 crore.

Out of the total investment, Rs 8,706 crore will be allocated to three road projects, while Rs 5,374 crore will be dedicated to the construction of three railway lines. These projects are spread across the country.

The assessment moved forward in the 55th meeting of the NPG on 14 September, according to a Financial Express report.

The NPG, which consists of representatives from various ministries, meets every fortnight to evaluate infrastructure projects. Their aim is to ensure multimodality, coordination of efforts, and comprehensive development in and around the project areas.

As per recent reports, as many as 100 critical infrastructure projects worth Rs 5.89 lakh crore have been recommended for approval in the ongoing fiscal, in the previous 54 sessions of the NPG, marking a major success for the PM Gati Shakti initiative.

All infrastructure projects exceeding Rs 500 crore require approval from the NPG to ensure alignment with the objectives of the Gati Shakti Master Plan.

The majority of projects endorsed by the group pertain to roads, railways, and urban development.

These include 40 road projects requiring a combined investment of Rs 3.65 lakh crore, 40 railway projects valued at Rs 95,704 crore, and eight urban development projects totalling Rs 79,016 crore that have received approval.

The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) was launched in October 2021 with the objectives of holistically integrating the interventions of various ministries and addressing the gaps to ensure infrastructure for seamless movement of people, goods and services.

The NMP also has a digital component in the form of a geographic information system (GIS) platform, which integrates the geospatial data related to the infrastructure in the country and planning portals of various ministries and departments.