The Indian Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India is organizing the ‘PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit’ on 11th - 12th November, 2022. The summit to be held at the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul (Trade Centre and Museum) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh will bring about greater awareness about the PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan with focus on infrastructure development in the waterways.

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will also unveil the Inauguration Stones (7) & Foundation Stones (8) of Community Jetties on NW-1 (River Ganga) at Ravidas Ghat, Varanasi before the Summit.

Speaking about the PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan and the Multimodal Waterways Summit, Shri Sonowal said, “The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to the idea of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is a transformative approach for improving logistics efficiency and reducing logistics cost to ensure first and last mile connectivity for seamless movement of people and goods. MOPSW had identified 101 projects estimated to cost around Rs. 62,627 crore under GatiShakti NMP which are aimed to be completed by 2024, while the target for the nine high-impact projects costing Rs. 1,913 crore is by the end of this fiscal year.”

Shri Sanjay Bandopadhyaya Chairman, IWAI said, “The Summit will provide a networking platform for key stakeholders from central government and state governments, industry and think tanks to share and discuss the national master plan. Senior officials from relevant Ministries and departments, Port authorities, sector experts and stakeholders from the private sectors will be in attendance.”

The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, launched by  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, aims at providing Multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various SEZs and enhancing logistical efficiency. The plan aims to integrate the implementation of all existing and proposed infrastructure development initiatives to support faster and efficient movement of people and goods. A smooth and efficient logistics system serves as the backbone of development and will be a key factor in achieving ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’.

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MJPS