Major turn-around of Indian infrastructure in last 70 years
PM Modi launches master plan for connectivity aiming to develop infrastructure to reduce costs
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New Delhi, October 13: PM Modi, launched a Rs.100 lakh crore national master plan for multi-modal connectivity that aims to develop infrastructure to reduce the logistic costs and boost the economy, on Wednesday.
PM Gati-Shakti targets to cut logistic costs, increase the cargo handling capacity and reduce the turnaround time, said Modi.
The plan wants to lend more power, speed to projects by connecting all departments on one platform, he said. The infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments will be designed and executed with one common vision.
Development isn’t possible without quality infrastructure. Government has now resolved to develop it in a holistic manner, he said. Gati-Shakti gets together various departments for coordinated development of projects from road to railways, aviation to agriculture.
Stating that high logistics cost in India at 13% of GDP was impacting competitiveness in exports, he said PM-Gati Shakti is aimed at reducing logistic cost and turnaround time.
He said the speed and scale that India is seeingunder his government was never seen in the previous 70 years of independence.
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As examples, he said the first inter-state natural gas pipeline was commissioned in 1987. From then to 2014, 15,000-km of the natural gas pipeline was built. Currently, more than 16,000-km of the new gas pipeline is being constructed. He said, “What was done in 27 years, we are doing in it in less than half that time.”
In 5 years prior to the BJP government coming to power in 2014, 1,900-km of rail line was doubled, while in last 7 years 9,000-km of rail line doubling has happened.
Against 3,000 km of railway line electrification in 5 years prior to 2014, 24,000 km rail line doubling has happened in the last 7 years.
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From 250-km of metro in 2015, the metro rail network has expanded to 700-km and work is on another 1,000-km, he said. He added saying, 1.5 lakh village panchayats have been connected with optic fibre network in last 7 years as compared to only 60 village panchayats in 5 years prior to 2014.
Vessel turnaround time at ports has been reduced from 41 to 27 hours. He added, 4.25 lakh circuit km of power transmission line have been laid against 3 lakh circuit km in 5 years prior to 2014.
Infrastructure projects in the defence sector are also booming under vision of changing India's infrastructure to use in emergency situations like wars.