Nepal and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in importing India’s integrated project planning tool – PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) – to reduce cost and time of projects.
According to reports, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the two countries will be signed soon for the rollout of infrastructure projects using the NMP.
However, the Government of India has indicated that it will not be used for revenue generation with friendly neighboring countries.
In India, the programe will also be used for planning at the district level, and the Centre is working with the states to obtain relevant land record data in this regard, they said.
With the district-level pilot project underway, the central government aims to launch the master plan before the end of 2024.
Also, as the PM Gati Shakti marks its third anniversary on Sunday, October 13, it may soon be open for use by private players for better planning and cost optimization.
Drawing from the experience of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, which saved ₹20 crores per month by using Gati Shakti to identify the optimal distance between the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) godowns and fair price shops, the government is now looking to secure access to dynamic traffic data across cities to ease urban congestion.
To date, 208 projects worth ₹15.39 lakh crores have been approved via the Network Planning Group under Gati Shakti NMP, and 156 gaps have been identified for optimization among government departments.
“An impressive 1,614 data layers have been incorporated, with 726 contributed by various ministries and departments and 888 by states and UTs. These collaborative efforts are driving more efficient planning, execution, and monitoring of key infrastructure projects,” a DPIIT official, was quoted as saying.
Various infrastructure ministries are using the NMP under the PM GatiShakti system.
“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has planned over 8,891 kilometers of road projects. The Ministry of Railways has planned over 27,000 kilometers of railway lines using the NMP framework. Also, Railways has significantly accelerated its final location surveys (FLS), completing 449 FLS in FY 2022, a dramatic increase from just 57 FLS in FY 2021,” he added.
The system is also being used extensively by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) for laying oil and gas pipelines across the country.