The government of India, GoI has recently launched the PM Gati Shakti plan or National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity Plans. Why is there a need for such projects? How do they play a role in making India self-sufficient? What are the highlights of this scheme? Let us understand the entire process, step by step.
Aim of the PM Gati Shakti Scheme
The purposes of the scheme are listed below:
- To ensure coordinated planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the next four years.
- It also focused on bringing down logistic charges.
- To focus on expediting works on grounds and creating jobs.
Highlights of the Scheme
The highlight and significant features of the Gati Shakti Scheme are as follows:
- The Gati Shakti scheme will absorb the National Infrastructure Pipeline, 2019.
The National Infrastructure Pipeline, 2019:
The Government of India launched the actin 2019. It is a digital dashboard that will monitor all infrastructure activity and contains updated data related to upcoming and existing infrastructure projects.
- The scheme aims to set up 11 Industrial corridors and two defence corridors. First, let us clear the meaning of the Industrial and Defence corridors.
Industrial Corridors
Industrial corridors are developed under the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT). It can be defined as a corridor consisting of multi-modal transport services. In 2019, the government of India had announced to implementation of five national corridors. The list of these corridors are as follows:
- Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
- Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.
- Bengaluru-Mumbai Economic Corridor.
- Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor.
- East Coast Economic Corridor.
Defence Industrial Corridors
PM Gati Shakti Scheme announced to set up two Industrial defence corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. A defence corridor may be defined as a route along which regional productions of defence equipment by the public sector, private sector and MSMEs.
- UP Defence Industrial Corridor (2021):
The Industrial defence corridor aims to reduce foreign dependence on the Aerospace and defence sector. The six nodes of this defence industrial corridor are Aligarh, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot.
- Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor:
The Tamil Nadu Industrial Defence Corridor aims to create new production facilities and promote clusters with testing, export, and technology transfer facilities. The five major nodes of the Tamil Nadu defence corridor are Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, and Hosur.
- Integrated Approach:
The PM Gath Shakti scheme aims to unite 16 ministries of infrastructure under a single cover.
- Reduce the logistic costs:
The scheme is said to reduce the logistic costs of a project.
What are the logistics costs?
Logistic costs are all the expenses related to packages, transport, and storage.
What are the salient features of the PM Gati Shakti scheme?
The features of the PM Gati Shakti scheme are as follows:
- It cuts down the logistics costs.
- It increases the employment rate.
- It is an integrated approach.
- It increases the cargo handling capacity of the network.
- It reduces turnaround time at ports.
- It helps in fulfilling the ambitions target of the government for 2024-25.
- The scheme will add 17,000 km to the gas pipeline network.
- It will expand the national highway length to 2 lakh km.
- It adds 200 new airports, heliports and aerodromes in the network zone.
Why is there a need for the PM Gati Shakti Scheme?
The PM Gati Shakti Scheme is essential for the country’s infrastructure development at 13% of GDP, which is relatively high. If this money is saved, it can be further used in developing more quality products. Internationally, the scheme is important as it will help India in becoming self-reliant. The country will improve more in the field of technology, defence, and transportation by this scheme. Also, when China is struggling to become a global power, the PM Gati Shakti Plan will help India stand with it. Deadly unemployment is one of the most basic drawbacks of India; the PM Gati Shakti Plan will create more employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled labour. Thus, to some extent, the scheme will help in resolving the unemployment issue. Airways are the economic backbone of a country; the PM Gati Shakti Scheme strengthened the country’s economic factor by launching several airfields, airports, and helipads. Summing up, the PM Gati Shakti Scheme is important for the overall development of the country.
A Way Forward
Infrastructures are the necessities of a country. They define the global status of a nation. The level of infrastructure determines the advancement of the science and technology of the country. But the infrastructure should be constructed keeping in mind that it is built for the coming ages. Proper technologies and raw materials should be used for their conduct. Only then, the nation will achieve a name in the world.