Secunderabad: The 64th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting was held on Tuesday, under the chairpersonship of Ms. Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary, Logistics at Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM), Secunderabad. The meeting saw active participation from key Infrastructure Ministries and Departments, including the Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of Defence (MoD), NITI Aayog, and representatives from South Central Railway (SCR).
Three proposed Greenfield projects with an aggregate project cost of approximately INR 9600 Crores were discussed during the meeting:
-
Proposed New Broad-Gauge Line Between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States: This project by the Ministry of Railways aims to establish a broad-gauge line connecting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states. The project focuses on enhancing multimodal connectivity, increasing capacity for freight and passenger trains, providing faster rail connectivity, boosting employment, and promoting tourism. The Area Development Approach has been integrated to enhance last-mile connectivity, considering synergies with the ports of Andhra Pradesh.
-
Proposed Construction of a New Region Ring Road under Bharatmala Pariyojana: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) proposed the construction of a New Region Ring Road (RRR) in Odisha to facilitate the movement of freight between Chennai and Kolkata. The project aims to provide multimodal connectivity to economic nodes, industrial parks, mineral and mining zones, and logistics and social nodes. It is designed to bypass major towns in Odisha, reducing traffic congestion and enhancing logistics efficiency.
-
Proposed Four-Laning of NH-727 in Uttar Pradesh: This project involves the four-laning of NH-727 in Uttar Pradesh, improving connectivity to the Buddhist Circuit Route, social, industrial, and economic nodes. It is expected to boost cross-border trade, stimulate socio-economic development, and improve road connectivity to economic centers, industrial zones, and agricultural regions.
The meeting underscored the importance of rail infrastructure in sustaining India’s economic growth and meeting logistics market growth projections. Indian Railways aims to increase rail modal share to 35% by 2031, contributing to a reduction in logistics costs and oil imports. Additionally, three economic corridors have been planned, focusing on energy, mineral, and cement corridors, high traffic density routes, and Rail Sagar Corridors (Port Connectivity Program).
In her closing remarks, Ms. Sumita Dawra emphasized the integrated nature of these projects, offering substantial socio-economic benefits and contributing to the overall development of the regions. She urged ministries to incorporate Area Development Planning Approach in infrastructure project planning and enhance coordination with local authorities, including State Governments, for integrated planning.