Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Gati Shakti-National Master Plan to connect the country’s economic zones, saying the master plan would lay the foundation for economic growth over the next 25 years.
PM Gati Shakti Project?
- PM Gati Shakti aims to institutionalize holistic planning for major infrastructure projects. The projects will be designed and executed with a common vision and will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments such as the Bharatmala road project, Sagarmala waterways plan, ports and the UDAN scheme.
- Connectivity between economic zones such as textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones will be improved to make Indian businesses more competitive. It will also leverage technology, including spatial planning tools with satellite imagery.
- If the multiplier effect of infrastructure investments on gross domestic product (GDP) is to be maximized within a short time frame, it is critical that specific infrastructure projects which form part of critical trade routes, both internal and external, be prioritized.
- The Gati Shakti initiative, with its technology platform for real-time monitoring of projects and supporting coordination mechanisms between concerned ministries and government agencies, is expected to provide a major boost in the prioritization of projects.
- The wide gap between macro planning and micro implementation, problems of lack of coordination, lack of advanced information, and thinking and working in silos are leading to hampered construction and wastage of budget. PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will address this as working on the basis of the master plan will lead to optimum utilization of resources.