In the budget speech today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a blueprint for the Amrit Kal–India@100 focusing on futuristic, sustainable and inclusive growth guided by investment in quality infrastructure under the visionary PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan that has an outlay of INR 20,000 crores for the financial year 2022-23.
Gati Shakti will bring synergy to create a world-class, seamless, multi-modal network of transport for people and goods that will accelerate productivity and economic growth. The approach is driven in unison by seven engines: roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics infrastructure.
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for expressways will be formulated and the national highways network will see an expansion of 25,000-kilometre in 2022-23. A Unified Logistics Interface Platform will be designed to address logistical challenges and bring more transparency and visibility.
Railways will also see some major holistic development projects. 'One Station, One Product' will be popularised to help local businesses. A 2,000-kilometre railway network will be brought under Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system or ‘Kavach’ for safety and capacity augmentation. Four hundred new generation Vande Bharat trains and 100 PM Gati Shakti multi-modal cargo terminals will be developed during the next three years. Innovative financing options for building metros will be encouraged and metro systems will be reoriented as per Indian needs. To integrate railways with mass urban transport systems, multi-modal connectivity options will also be facilitated.
Ecologically sustainable alternatives to convention modes of transport for hilly and congested urban areas will be undertaken under National Ropeways Development Programme in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to improve connectivity and promote tourism. Eight ropeway projects for 60-kilometre will also be awarded in 2022-23.
PM Gati Shakti will give new energy to the present and future generations of India and lay a foundation for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat for the next 25 years.
This article was authored by Bhavya Tyagi
