New Delhi, Feb 25
The government evaluated several infrastructure projects from Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation, which are expected to boost logistics efficiency, reduce travel times, and deliver significant socio-economic benefits to the catchment areas of the project, it was announced on Wednesday.
The 109th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) was held at Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to evaluate infrastructure projects.
According to Commerce Ministry, it focused on enhancing multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency in alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP).
The NPG evaluated 2 rail projects, 1 Metro project, 1 airport project for their conformity to the PM GatiShakti principles of integrated multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity to economic and social nodes and 'Whole of Government' approach, said the official statement.
The Ministry of Railways has proposed the construction of a third railway line between Jalandhar Cantt and Jammu Tawi, covering a total length of 210.750 km across the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The proposed alignment will include 27 stations and traverse key districts such as Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kangra, Pathankot, Kathua, and Samba.
It carries substantial strategic, economic, and social significance. It will serve as a crucial infrastructure asset for national security by enabling faster and more reliable movement of defence personnel, equipment, and supplies to border regions.
"From an economic perspective, the project will enhance trade and commerce by improving the transportation of agricultural produce, construction materials, and essential goods," according to the ministry.
The Railways Ministry also proposed the construction of a third railway line between Manikpur and Itarsi, covering a total length of 518.532 km across the States of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The proposed alignment traverses key districts including Chitrakoot, Satna, Maihar, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, and Narmadapuram, thereby reinforcing rail connectivity along a critical corridor linking northern and central India.
This is expected to significantly augment operational capacity, improve network resilience, and facilitate the introduction of additional train services to meet growing traffic demand and reduce congestion.
Moreover, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed the development of a Greenfield Airport at Doloo, Silchar in Assam, strategically located adjacent to National Highway NH-27.
Once operational, the airport is expected to act as a key catalyst for socio-economic development in Cachar district and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has proposed an extension of Surat Metro Corridor II (Phase I) from Saroli to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridor in Gujarat.
The 4.4-km elevated extension includes three stations, with provisions for two future stations, and is aimed at enhancing urban mobility while strengthening Surat's integration with regional and national transport networks.
- IANS
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