According to a source, our government is considering providing the shipping and port infrastructure a substantial boost through planned upgrades at a projected cost of about $25 billion.
The PM Gatishakti National Master Plan will give priority to finishing these sector-specific upgrades. The majority of projects are prioritized for the ports at Paradip, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata. The PM Gatishakti National Master Plan establishes the framework for the nation’s total infrastructure and offers an integrated and comprehensive roadmap to the economy. In order to facilitate the smooth movement of people, commodities, and services throughout India, it intends to provide systematic multimodal connectivity to diverse economic zones.
The Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGOS) has been established by the Center to oversee the execution of the Gatishakti National Master Plan. This group is led by the Cabinet Secretary and includes the secretaries of 20 ministries responsible for infrastructure and economic users.
There are 102 critical projects under Gatishakti worth $7.67 billion to be completed by 2024, Out of 102 critical projects, Maharashtra has 31 projects, Karnataka 17 projects, Gujarat 16 projects, and Andhra Pradesh 14 projects. Tamil Nadu/W Bengal 7 projects and Kerala/Odisha 5 projects.
According to Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the government has identified pipeline 81 public-private partnership (PPP) projects worth $5.18 billion to develop berths and terminals across major ports by 2024-25.
Further, new road alignments, upgradation of existing roads, and new rail projects to manage freight traffic are also being identified by the shipping ministry.
