As many as 352 infrastructure projects with a total estimated cost of 16.10 lakh crore have been evaluated under the Network Planning Group mechanism of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, out of which 201 projects have been sanctioned and 167 are currently under implementation, the government informed the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, launched in October 2021, provides an integrated approach to infrastructure planning aimed at ensuring multimodal connectivity, synchronised project execution, last-mile access and data-driven decision-making at the planning stage.
The Network Planning Group, constituted under the PM GatiShakti framework, evaluates critical Central Government infrastructure projects to promote comprehensive development in and around project locations while improving coordination among ministries.
The minister further informed that in order to support infrastructure creation at the state level, the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Expenditure had earmarked ₹5,000 crore under Part-II of the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for 2022-23.
The assistance was structured as a 50-year interest-free loan for states to undertake capital investment projects.
The minister said that the implementation of ongoing Central Sector projects costing ₹150 crore and above, including those planned under the PM GatiShakti framework, is monitored by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Additionally, the Project Monitoring Group has been established as an institutional mechanism to track milestone-based progress and expedite issue resolution for large-scale infrastructure projects with an estimated cost of ₹500 crore and above.
The group operates a five-tier escalation framework that routes issues through the concerned ministries and, where required, up to the PRAGATI forum for complex matters.
The integration of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan with the Project Monitoring Group is aimed at resolving regulatory bottlenecks and accelerating project execution through streamlined review processes, according to the minister.
