PM Modi Highlights Logistics Efficiency Following New Infrastructure Approvals

In the backdrop of several major railway and highway projects being approved by the Union cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a major increase in the freight capacity of the railways and efficiencies in the supply chains. The infrastructure support entails an overall investment of almost ₹9,450 crore to resolve bottlenecks at various points on key freight corridors that run through West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a meeting authorised four rail multi-track projects that cover a distance of about 410 km while on air, NDTV reports. These include Kharagpur–Bhadrak 4th line, Bhadrak–Haridaspur 4th line, Gummidipundi–Gudur 3rd and 4th lines and Cuttack–Paradeep 3rd line and 4th line. PM Modi, using social media, announced that these “Multi-tracking Projects” will create economic efficiency in overall traffic flow, alleviate congestion and logistic efficiencies in the movement of heavy traffic for industries and goods.

The Print reported on the highway sector, the government simultaneously gave green signal for a four-lane project on the part of the national highway (NH-22) connecting Muzaffarpur with Sitamarji and then with Sonbarsa in Bihar. The road infrastructure improvement will facilitate regional trade and connectivity with Nepal, and regional commercial road transit to Eastern India.

The multi-tracking works on railways have been chalked out in accordance with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, as reported in the Deccan Herald. The project routes tie directly into the vital bulk commodities that depend on the project: coal, iron ore, steel, cement, containers, and automobiles. Upon completion in 2030-31, the expanded rail lines will offer an extra freight capacity of 76 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), lower transport emissions and overall freight costs.