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The study said the practical involvement of India’s top leader Narendra Modi is a key feature of the Pragati Manch – and an “essential component of its success”.
The study said PM Modi has played a leading role in the review of each of the 340 infrastructure projects moved through the platform. (PTI file)
An Oxford University study attributed this to leadership Prime Minister Narendra Modi And his signature Pragati platform to accelerate 340 major infrastructure projects worth $201 billion in India, including projects pending for three to 20 years.
“Since its inception nine years ago, Pragati has had a massive impact on India’s infrastructure development. The study released on Monday said, “By June 2023, 340 projects worth Rs 17.05 lakh crore ($ 205 billion) had gone through the progress review process.” The study said that the practical participation of India’s top leader Narendra Modi Progress is an important feature of the platform – and “an essential component of its success”.
The study said Modi has played a leading role in reviewing each of the 340 infrastructure projects that have moved forward through the platform. “This investigation provides importance and urgency to infrastructure initiatives, helps mobilize resources, accelerate decision making, motivate teams and motivate workers on the ground. As a result, many large and important projects that had slowed down due to various big and small reasons have come back to life,” the study said.
The study was co-authored by Peter Moores Dean and Soumitra Dutta, Professor of Management at the Saeed Business School, and Mukul Pandya, Associate Fellow at the Saeed Business School at the University of Oxford.
“Having served as Chief Minister for more than 12 years, Mr Modi had a clear understanding of how such issues often play out at the grassroots level… The success of many Progress The projects can be traced directly to a small video-conferencing room in the Prime Minister’s South Block office in New Delhi. There, often on the last Wednesday of every month, Mr Modi meets with his senior aides and at least one additional secretary overseeing progress. Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Secretaries of all states and Secretaries of Central Ministries are participating through video conference. These meetings, which typically last 90 minutes, are well-planned,” the report says.
The report specifically lists eight transformative infrastructure projects In rail, road, power and air projects, explaining the role that progress played in streamlining their implementation. This includes Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link, Bengaluru Metro Rail Project and Navi Mumbai Airport.
eight projects
- Bogibeel Rail and Road Bridge in Assam: It was conceived in the Assam Accord of 1985 and then approved in 1998. Its objective was to provide both rail and road connectivity between the northern and southern banks of the Brahmaputra River. Originally budgeted at Rs 1,000 crore, the final price tag of the project was Rs 5,920 crore. Following the progress review in May 2015, officials visited project sites more frequently, which increased the urgency of bottlenecks, streamlined efforts between state and central agencies, and accelerated project progress. As a result, the bridge, which was in the making for more than two decades, was inaugurated in December 2018.
- Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link, Jammu and Kashmir: Despite a year-round tourism industry, the vibrant Kashmir valley has historically had only one mode of transport connecting it to the Himalayan region of Jammu and the rest of India. The plan to lay a railway line within the Himalayas – crossing mountains, valleys and peaks – was a long, arduous and technically challenging journey. Approved in 1995, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) required innovative tunneling in treacherous terrain. The project consists of 38 tunnels, one of which is approximately 13 km long. The line also passes through 931 bridges, including the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, spanning the Chenab River at 359 metres. By the time the project was first listed on the Pragati portal in 2015, a decade had passed and no construction had taken place. Pragati’s intervention brought about a paradigm shift at all levels of execution and administration. By the time USBRL came for its second progress review in 2020, construction of the line was three-fourths complete. Now the entire railway line is expected to be inaugurated in 2025.
- Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL): Conceived in phases, the first phase became operational in 2017, the second phase is expected to be completed in 2026. The third phase could be operational by 2028 and will include two new elevated lines. As the project’s rail corridor passes through the city, acquisition of vast land was an extremely difficult task. Since commissioning in 2017, 42 km and 40 stations of Phase 1 have served as an urban rejuvenation. Tangible benefits include vast reductions in congestion, improved air quality and a reliable means of transportation.
- Haridaspur-Paradip Rail Connection, Odisha: Paradip port is the essential gateway for which the 82 km long Haridaspur-Paradip rail line was approved in 1997. For a decade, the project proceeded at a snail’s pace due to insufficient funds. In 2018, Pragati gave the shipping ministry the right to acquire equity in the SPV, effectively breaking the impasse by reducing the influence of the controversial investor. The Haridaspur–Paradip rail line was inaugurated in 2020. Since then, the project has halved the travel time and distance between mining areas in Odisha and Paradip port, helping to reduce transportation costs and boost trade.
- Dahisar-Surat section, National Highway 8, Maharashtra and Gujarat: The construction of the Dahisar-Surat section of National Highway 8 (now NH 48) is an example of how certain last-mile issues can hamper a project, leading to There may be a danger of him becoming weak. Significant amount of work already completed. The goal of the project was to expand the 239 kilometer four-lane highway to six lanes and add service roads that would cater to previously underserved communities. Construction began in February 2009 and was scheduled to be finished by August 2011. As of 2014, eight kilometers of work remained incomplete due to a dispute over two points.
- Varanasi-Aurangabad section, National Highway 2, UP and Bihar: Spanning 192 km, this road-widening project aims to better connect Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Aurangabad in Bihar. When the Varanasi-Aurangabad section of National Highway 2 came under progress review in 2016, land acquisition was a major challenge, partly due to Bihar’s ancient land records. Litigation with landowners and encroachment along the highway also halted progress. After five years, only 20% of the road widening has been completed. The widened highway is now scheduled to be completed later this year.
- North Karanpura Thermal Power Plant, Jharkhand: To meet the power demand in the world’s fastest growing major economy, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) got approval to build a 1,980 MW thermal power plant in Chatra district of Jharkhand in 2014. Found. Progress reviews in 2015 and 2021 helped expedite lease agreements for government land and secure an agreement with the Department of Water Resources for withdrawal from the Garhi River. The plant, scheduled to become operational later this year, will not only help boost India’s national development ambitions, but also provide new employment opportunities in a region with high unemployment and provide uninterrupted power supply to a region plagued by power cuts.
- Navi Mumbai Airport, Maharashtra: Over the past several decades, the city of Mumbai, India’s economic capital, has grown rapidly, while its airport has struggled to keep up. Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) was designed to reduce crippling air traffic bottlenecks and help the region meet its economic aspirations. Land acquisition for the project, approved in 2007, proved to be a difficult challenge. A progress review in 2015 helped project stakeholders find solutions to these challenges. The Prime Minister’s Office directly connected with the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to help the villagers. Land acquisition was successfully completed in 2019. Construction on the NMIA eventually began shortly after the second progress review in 2021. To be operational by an updated targeted timeline of December 2024, the airport is a symbol of what is possible with ambitious leadership and digital technology driven governance.
