AIR Spotlight: PM Gati Shakti - National Plan for Infrastructure Development

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio News on air. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on: ‘PM Gati Shakti’.

Participants

• A.K Bhattacharya: Economic Analyst
• Arjun J. Chaudhry: AIR Correspondent

Context – The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan initiative was launched in October 2021 for integrated and planned development of critical infrastructure projects. The main aim of PM GatiShakti is to improve logistics efficiency by reducing the time and cost of transportation, simplifying procedures and creating an efficient logistics ecosystem.

About PM Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity

The PM Gati Shakti, a ‘national master plan’ for multimodal connectivity was launched in October 2021 and aims at developing an integrated infrastructure to reduce logistic costs.

• The cost of logistics in the Indian supply chain is around 15% of GDP, whereas the same costs amount to 8-10% of GDP in the U.S. and Europe and 9% in China. The PM Gati Shakti Master Plan aims to bring down the logistic costs to 8-9% of GDP.
• Individual ministries and departments often work in silos and there is a lack of coordination in the planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM GatiShakti helps in synchronising the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination.
• The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development and is driven by seven engines – roads, railways, airports, mass transport, ports, waterways and logistics infrastructure. All seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison.
• The PM Gati Shakti will encompass seven engines for economic transformation, seamless multi-modal connectivity and logistics efficiency.
• The four focus areas are – planning; financing, including through innovative ways; use of technology and speedier implementation. 
• The Gati Shakti project is a segment of the government’s larger infrastructure push which is the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) which is expected to generate about 211 lakh crore of investments over the next five years.
• The PM Gati Shakti brings as many as 27 central government ministries under one online digital infrastructural framework.

PM Gati Shakti – GIS  (Geospatial Information Systems) based platform

PM Gati Shakti NMP has a digital component in the form of a GIS-based platform which integrates the geospatial data related to the infrastructure in the country and planning portals of various Ministries/Departments of the Government.

• So far over 600 layers of data of different infra-ministries have been mapped on the National Master Plan. For instance, the Railway Ministry has mapped its entire rail line network, and the status of projects including widening, electrification, gauge conversion, and development of cargo terminals among others into the National Master Plan (NMP). The Highway Ministry has mapped the entire database of the National Highways – the Bharat Mata Greenfield corridors, the proposed multimodal logistics Hub, apart from the network of state highways, and district roads on the NMP.
• Almost all central infra-ministries have mapped their data layers – data with respect to forests, water sources, mines, etc. that are required for planning and getting clearances for the projects. Earlier, there was no single platform for comprehensive information on infrastructure and logistic facilities in the country. Now every ministry knows which ministry is planning what project across the country.
• The NMP portal is being used for the pre-feasibility assessment and DPR planning by railways, roads, telecom and other infra-ministries. The digital master plan of infra-assets allows ministries to align better, modify projects before implementation and also ensure synchronised planning/ implementation.

PM Gati Shakti -A three-tier institutional arrangement

• To ensure better decision-making and coordination among various Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments, there is a three-tier institutional arrangement –

1. 1. Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS),
   2.  Network Planning Group (NPG) and 
   3. Technical Support Unit (TSU), both at the Central and State levels. 

• Since its launch, the PM Gati Shakti NMP has helped in identifying over 190 critical infrastructure gaps in five key sectors – ports, steel, coal fertiliser and food and public distribution. The respective ministries have been asked to address these gaps. 

PM Gati Shakti – Involvement of states

The government is spending a portion of its total capital expenditure on infrastructure through the states.

• Two years ago, the centre would only provide around 10,000 cr through the states for boosting infrastructure projects in their area.
• Last year, it went upto almost one lakh crore and this current year, the central government is planning to offer the states 1.3 lakh cr. out of 10 lakh cr. The states are being brought in and encouraged to come up with new infrastructure projects. 

Conclusion – The Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan will help to develop the future infrastructure in a planned manner, prevent cost overrun, and increase India’s cost competitiveness, besides saving taxpayers’ money. The institutional framework has been developed in a manner to prevent cost overruns and delays which are the main challenges in long gestation infrastructure projects.

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