PM Gati Shakti: Govt Constitutes Empowered Group To Synchronise Construction Of Roads, Rail And Other Utility Services

The government of India has constituted a 20-member Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), which will be a monitoring mechanism for the development and implementation of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP).

The Cabinet Secretary will be its Chairperson. Members include Chairman, Railway Board; Secretaries of Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways; Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Civil Aviation; Petroleum and Natural Gas; Power; Telecommunications; Coal; Mines; Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals; Fertilisers; Steel; Expenditure; DPIIT; Food and Public Distribution; Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Tourism. Head of Logistics Division will be the Member, Convenor. Besides, the EGoS can co-opt any other Secretary or Secretaries as per requirement.

The Logistics Division will act as Secretariat to the Empowered Group of Secretaries for its Terms of Reference (ToRs).

The ToRs of EGoS includes reviewing and monitoring the implementation of plan to ascertain the logistics efficiency accruing thereof, and adopting framework and norms for undertaking any amendments in the plan.

The empowered group will also be responsible to set out a procedure and a definitive timeframe for synchronisation of various activities for construction of roads, rail, etc. along with all utility services in an area-based approach for the development of infrastructure on a pilot basis.

The EGoS aligns various initiatives on the development of a common integrated portal that serves the needs of all stakeholders.

It also issues appropriate directions for achieving the objectives and for compliance to guiding principles of the PM GatiShakti NMP and in addressing demand-side requirements of concerned ministries.

The EGoS will look at the interventions required to meet the demand side in efficiently transporting bulk goods based on the requirements of various ministries like Steel, Coal, Fertilizer etc.

Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multimodal Connectivity, a digital platform, will bring 16 Ministries, including Railways and Roadways, together for integrated planning and coordinated infrastructure connectivity projects.

It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.