The 66^th meeting of Network Planning Group (NPG) was held on 27 February, 2024 in New Delhi, under the chairpersonship of Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Shri Rajeev Singh Thakur, to evaluate three projects from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and two projects from Ministry of Railways (MoR).

Highway projects in the Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam

The first project from MoRTH pertains to the up-gradation of NH 216H in Andhra Pradesh. This Brownfield project spans approximately 120.85 kms, connecting Pedana to Laxmipuram. The objective is to enhance interconnectivity, particularly for Machilipatnam port and Gudiviada and Machilipatnam Railway station.The project aims to provide faster connectivity across the state, thereby boosting economic growth in underdeveloped regions and saving time and cost for inter-city travel.

The second project from MoRTH relates to providing a bypass around Indore city. The project, spanning 141 km through Dhar, Indore, and Dewas districts of Madhya Pradesh is a greenfield project. The corridor, starting near Khandwa village and terminating at NH-52 near Bhardala, aims to reduce traffic congestion in Indore, offering an alternative route and ensuring seamless transportation of goods and people.

The third project is a ring road of approximately 64 kms, around Guwahati city. The proposal includes an elevated structure at Jorabat and a new bridge across Brahmaputra. This project will contribute to decongestion of the Guwahati city and major junctions under Kamrup metropolitan district resulting in reduced travel time and vehicle operating cost, offering a solution to congestion and improving connectivity. The project is expected to provide smooth traffic flow, contributing to overall economic development.

New Broad Gauge (BG) line between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and doubling of line in Uttar Pradesh

The New BG Line project stands out as a Greenfield initiative, covering 309 km across Maharashtra (Nashik and Dhule Districts) and Madhya Pradesh (Badwani, Khargone, Dhar, Indore Districts), connecting existing rail head stations of Manmad and Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow). The new rail link is poised to open a direct route from Mumbai to Indore, fostering improved connectivity and socio-economic growth in the backward areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The Phaphamau-Unchahar doubling project in Uttar Pradesh covers 72.27 km across Allahabad, Pratapgarh, and RaeBareli district. This brownfield project, aims to improve connectivity, reduce travel time, and enhance operating efficiency.

The meeting was attended by the NPG members heading the network planning wing of respective infrastructure Ministries to discuss the projects from the perspective of integrated planning based on the principles of PM GatiShakti and area development approach for overall regional socio-economic upliftment. The attendees included officials from infrastructure Ministries, representatives from States where projects would be implemented, among others.

The project details were examined based on the planning/mapping on PM GatiShakti NMP. The key outcomes of the evaluation exercise were discussed with the objective of improving connectivity with various economic/social nodes ensuring first/last mile connectivity, and multi-modal infrastructure with the perspective of the whole of the government approach.

The NPG underscored the crucial role of these projects in nation-building, as they integrate diverse modes of transportation, provide significant socio-economic advantages, and contribute to the comprehensive development of the respective regions.

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