Rs 15,000 crore infrastructure projects taken up at 62nd Network Planning Group meet

The government Friday said that four infrastructure projects worth Rs 15,000 crore were discussed at the 62nd Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting under PM GatiShakti. As per a commerce and industry ministry release, a Rail Sagar Corridor programme was also discussed which aims to increase the tail and ports-based cargo share by 2031, improving modal shift for railways and contributing to cleaner ways of freight movement. The meeting was held on Thursday and was chaired by Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary (Logistics), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).In the meeting, two railway line projects were discussed. The first involves a greenfield railway line spanning 127 km in Jharkhand and aims to bridge the last-mile gap to existing coal blocks.The second project involved a brownfield railway line in Jharkhand and West Bengal, benefiting logistical movement in the industrial belt of Burnpur, Durgapur, and Asansol.

“This initiative is aimed at alleviating congestion on the existing railway line, providing an additional traffic capacity and generating extra revenue through detention savings,” the ministry said.

As per GatiShakti principles, the projects were discussed to promote multimodal connectivity to the manufacturing and commercial zones, while uplifting the socio-economic development of the region through improved logistics ecosystem.

Two road projects were also discussed with a combined road length of more than 300 kms. One project is in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, aiming to uplift the socio-economic conditions in tribal districts and a Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)- affected district. The road is expected to reduce the length of present travel by 11% (from 153.45 km to 136.62 km) and travel time by 56% (from 4.2 hours to 1.85 hours).

The second road project, situated in Assam and Mizoram, offers alternative connectivity route in the region, resulting in a 20% reduction in length (from 215 km to 172 km) and a 50% reduction in travel time (from 5 hours to 2.5 hours) over present connectivity. This road is poised to benefit industrial parks and the Bamboo Technology Park in the region.

Dawra underscored the significance of multi-modal connectivity during the meeting and highlighted their potential as a powerful tool for inclusive growth, especially in historically neglected areas, according to the statement.