Pune Hosts Second Regional Workshop: PM GatiShakti’s Impact on District-Level Planning
Pune, 10th February 2024: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, yesterday organized the Second Regional District-level Workshop for Capacity Building in Pune, with the collaboration of BISAG-N and the State Government. Over 100 participants from more than 10 districts in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat attended the workshop.
The workshop focused on the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in October 2021, with the goal of ensuring seamless, multi-modal first and last-mile connectivity for the efficient movement of people and goods. The PM GatiShakti NMP encompasses an inter-ministerial institutional mechanism at both the central and state levels, along with a GIS-data-based decision support system for integrated planning in the logistics and infrastructure sector. This framework is driving infrastructure planning and development across the country.
In the spirit of cooperative federalism, these workshops aim to promote the wider adoption of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan across districts in states. They serve as platforms for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and strategic planning, fostering synergy among various stakeholders, including States/UTs, Central Ministries/Departments, and district officers.
The inaugural session was led by key figures, including Sh. Vinod Kumar Verma, Deputy Director General, DPIIT, Sh. D.K Ojha, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sh. Sachindra P Singh, Additional Director General, YASHADA, and Smt. Charushila Choudhary, Joint Secretary, Planning, Government of Maharashtra. District officers from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat were also in attendance.
Deputy Director General, DPIIT, M/o Commerce & Industry, emphasized the significance of onboarding districts to the PM GatiShakti NMP, envisioning it as a means to integrate projects and take PMGS to the grassroots level. The workshop was hailed as a crucial platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and strategic planning towards the proactive implementation of the PM GatiShakti NMP at the district level.
Sh. Sachindra P Singh, Additional Director General, YASHADA, highlighted the transformative impact of developing PM GatiShakti modules at the district level, anticipating it to be a game-changer for grassroots infrastructure and facilities. He emphasized the potential benefits, including cost reduction and streamlined project implementation.
The workshop showcased best-use cases of PM GatiShakti NMP by Central Ministries, including demonstrations on the adoption of the Area Development Approach. The role of District Collectors in facilitating comprehensive area-based planning was underscored, and a handbook for District Collectors was distributed among stakeholders.
The workshop served as an effective platform for in-depth discussions and cross-learning between Districts, States/UTs, and Central Ministries/Departments regarding the PM GatiShakti NMP. Several use cases identified under PMGS NMP by Infrastructure and Social Sector Ministries and States/UTs were presented.
Among the use cases, Dahod district identified solutions to challenges related to limited water availability and connecting unirrigated land with water resources using the PM GatiShakti NMP/SMP portals. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways successfully optimized project routes to avoid intersection with the Great Indian Bustard Wildlife Sanctuary during the planning for the Surat – Nashik – Ahmednagar – Solapur – Akkalkot project.
With five more workshops scheduled between February and March 2024, PMGS aims to expand its outreach, progressively onboarding more districts. These workshops will empower district-level officers to utilize the PM GatiShakti Platform in the planning and implementation of existing or upcoming projects and schemes.
