NPG to be used for logistics, connectivity projects

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NPG to be used for logistics, connectivity projects

The finance ministry issuing the necessary instructions for all logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects, which have an investment of more than 500 crore, through the NPG, which is a network planning group under the PM GatiShakti initiative.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade DPIIT has created a national master plan digital platform.

The plan was announced last year by PM GatiShakti with the aim of breaking departmental silos and bringing in more holistic and integrated planning and execution of projects with a view to addressing the issues of multi-modal and last-mile connectivities.

This will help reduce logistics costs and promote efficient planning of infrastructure projects.

An integrated infrastructure network planning group NPG has been formed which has representations from various ministries of connectivity infrastructure with their heads of the network planning division for unified planning and integration of the proposals.

The national master plan was created by us. We have provided training for the people concerned and now we have this mandatory provision from the finance ministry. All logistics and connectivity projects will now be approved on the principles of PM GatiShakti. All the projects costing over 500 crore will be considered by NPG, the official said.

The DPIIT has held several training sessions with various government departments and held regional conferences across the states.

NPG consists of heads of the network planning wing of the respective infrastructure ministries and will assist the empowered group of secretaries EGOS, headed by the cabinet secretary. Under the DPIIT, EGOS consists of secretaries of 18 ministries as members and Head of Logistics Division as a member.

All infrastructure projects would have to come here, as NPG will clear the projects. There is a Technical Support Unit in place.

The department will approach the NPG first for approval before making a DPR detailed project reports at the planning stage, the official said, following the approval of the NPG's approval, the project would follow the normal procedure of approval by the finance ministry and the Cabinet.

If the railway is planning a project on a specified route, then by putting the relevant information on the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portal before the DPR, it can see if the proposed track is crossing through public land or private property or forest or highways.

There are over 600 layers of data on the portal.