Sri Lanka, Nepal to import India’s PM GatiShakti on its third anniversary | Latest News India

Nepal and Sri Lanka are in talks with New Delhi to import India’s integrated project planning tool to reduce cost and time overrun of projects, industry secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia said adding that the system has so far cleared infrastructure projects worth over ₹15 lakh crore since its launch three years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the GatiShakti in New Delhi on October 13, 2021. (File Photo)

“The proposals are under consideration,” Bhatia said. While Nepal’s needs are project specific, Sri Lanka is keen to have PM GatiShakti for the entire system, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2021 launched the GatiShakti – National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity in New Delhi.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Bhatia said India is willing to help its neighbours in better planning of their infrastructure projects, hence it will be complimentary.

After mega projects at the Centre and states, the government is planning to use the tool for project planning at the district-level. “In the last three years we have used PM GatiShakti to plan 208 projects worth 15.39 lakh crore,” Bhatia said. Now the system is being used by 36 states and Union territories (UTs), according to DPIIT.

In the last three years a total of 44 central ministries have been onboarded in the integrated planning system, which includes eight infrastructure ministries, 16 social sector ministries, 15 economic ministries, and five others, it said.

“An impressive 1,614 data layers have been incorporated, with 726 contributed by various ministries and departments and 888 by states and UTs. These collaborative efforts are driving more efficient planning, execution, and monitoring of key infrastructure projects,” a DPIIT official, who did not wish to be named, said.

Several infrastructure ministries are using the National Master Plan (NMP) under the PM GatiShakti system, he said. “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has planned over 8,891 kilometres of road projects. The Ministry of Railways has planned over 27,000 kilometres of railway lines using the NMP framework. Also, Railways has significantly accelerated its final location surveys (FLS), completing 449 FLS in FY 2022, a dramatic increase from just 57 FLS in FY 2021,” he added.

The system is extensively used by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) for laying oil and gas pipelines across the country. “In the past, preparing Detailed Route Surveys (DRS) for projects took six to nine months, but now the electronic DRS (eDRS) reports get generated in just one day. This has made the process simpler and faster,” the official said.

“It has been instrumental in optimising the alignment of the Green Energy Corridor for the inter-state transmission system, facilitating the transmission of 13 GW of renewable energy from Leh (Ladakh) to Kaithal (Haryana),” he added.

States are also using the system extensively, he said. “Goa, for instance, has developed a disaster management plan for flood-prone areas of Sanquelim and Amona along Amona river using the NMP/State Master Plan (SMP). In Uttar Pradesh, it is used to identify locations for new high schools and intermediate colleges in unserved habitations, through the Pahunch Portal,” he added.

Gujarat has also made progress, particularly with its 300-kilometre coastal corridor project. By using it, the state has reduced the number of required no-objection certificates (NoCs) for project clearance from 28 to 13. This project, which spans across four districts — Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, and Valsad — will enhance connectivity to tourist destinations like Dandi, Ubhrat, and Tithal, he added.

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