Cabinet Committee okays Gati Shakti, top govt panel to monitor progress

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved Gati Shakti, or the national master plan for multimodal connectivity, which includes the institutional framework as well as the implementation.
 
There will be a three-tier system for monitoring: empowered group of secretaries (EGoS), network planning group (NPG) as well as a technical support unit (TSU). The approval comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the master plan in the national capital.
 
EGoS will be headed by Cabinet Secretary and will comprise secretaries of 18 ministries. The head of the logistics division will be the convenor.
 

“EGoS has been mandated to review and monitor implementation of the PM Gati Shakti NMP to ensure logistics efficiency. It is empowered to prescribe framework and norms for undertaking any subsequent amendments to the NMP,” an official statement said.  “EGoS shall also set out the procedure and definitive framework for synchronisation of various activities, and ensure that various initiatives of infrastructure development are part of the common integrated digital platform,” it said.

 
The panel will also ensure efficient transportation of bulk goods on the requirement of various ministries such as steel, coal, fertiliser, among others.
 
Gati Shakti — a digital portal — is a governance tool, aimed at developing the multimodal transportation system in the country. However, it is currently in beta mode and is expected to be launched soon.

 
The CCEA also approved formation, composition and terms of reference of the NPG, consisting of heads of the network planning wing of respective infrastructure ministries. NPG will assist the EGoS.
 
The third monitoring group — TSU — will have domain experts from various infrastructure sectors as aviation, maritime, public transport, rail, roads and highways, ports and subject matter experts as urban and transport planning, power, pipeline, among others.