Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the multi-modal master plan Gati Shakti on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’
Read further for details.
PM Modi launched the ‘PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan’ for multi-modal connectivity to India’s economic zones on Wednesday. This plan marks a watershed moment in the country’s infrastructure development projects.
‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ Vision
The plan is a vital part of the current government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-sufficient India) vision. It aims to give more power and speed to projects under the $1.5 billion National Infrastructure Pipeline. Furthermore, it aims to boost the country’s goal of becoming a $5 billion economy. The economic downturns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made the latter objective particularly urgent.
Launch Event on Wednesday
The PM GatiShakti launch event took place in Pragati Maidan in New Delhi at 11 a.m. PM Modi first evaluated the model of the new exhibition complex at Pragati Maidan before pressing a remote button to start the plan. The proposal envisions a centralised portal that will connect 16 federal ministries and agencies’ infrastructure activities. The Prime Minister stated at the event that PM GatiShakti aims to reduce logistic costs, enhance cargo handling capacity, and shorten turnaround time. Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, who was also present at the occasion, stated that the programme will provide infrastructure development a new direction and offer old projects a new lease on life.
Details Into the Plan
The PM Gati Shakti plan is a programme to provide projects more speed (Gati) and power (Shakti) by uniting all relevant departments on a single platform. Modi stated that this will allow multiple ministries and state governments to develop and implement infrastructure projects with a common vision. Taxpayers’ money had been ‘insulted’ in the past due to a sluggish approach to development work, he added. He further said that ministries operated in isolation with no collaboration on projects before.
“We are doing in less than half the time what was done in 27 years,” the Prime Minister stated.
In his Independence Day speech this year, the Prime Minister announced plans for Gati Shakti. He added that it is impossible to carry out the country’s growth without a holistic approach to excellent infrastructure. The ministries of road, trains, aviation, and agriculture are some government departments that will collaborate on coordinated development projects. As a result, logistics costs and turnaround times will be reduced, ideally making India a more appealing investment destination.
Read more DU Express news here.
