NE Zonal Meet for PM GatiShakti dwells on region’s development, Manoj takes part
Guwahati, Feb 28, 2022, PIB331
With Government of India’s focus to ensure rapid infrastructural development in the North-East India and the region taking strides towards joining the National Gas Grid, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas organized the North-East Zonal Conference for PM GatiShakti (PMGS) in Guwahati today. The Conference was aimed at bringing together various stakeholders and hasten infrastructure development and adoption of environment-friendly Natural Gas in the region.
Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Rameswar Teli, Minister for Industries & Commerce, Act East Policies Tripura Manoj Kanti Deb, Minister for Soil & Water Conservation of Nagaland V Kashiho Sangtam, Minister for Education of Sikkim Shri Kunga Nima Lepcha took part in the meeting. Representatives from various infrastructure Ministries of the Central Government, North-eastern States and other stakeholders also attended the Conference.
. The Prime Minister said that this year’s budget has set the pace (Gatishakti) of India’s development in 21st century.
Underlining the lack of coordination among the stakeholders in the traditional ways of completing projects, the Prime Minister said that this was due to lack of clear information among the various concerned departments. “Due to PM Gatishakti, now everyone will be able to make their plan with complete information. This will also lead to optimum utilization of the country's resources”, he added.
He mentioned National Ropeway Development Programme to improve connectivity in the inaccessible hilly areas and Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North-East (PM-DevINE) in this regard. Mentioning PLI initiative, the Prime Minister called upon the private sector to invest in the infrastructure of the country.
Later speaking in the North-East Zonal Conference, Hardeep Singh Puri said that PM Gati Shakti is a remarkable initiative, as it aims to drive down logistics costs in India by streamlining and integrating infrastructure projects of various Central and State Govts. He said that through this breakthrough master plan, major projects across sectors like petroleum, railways, highways, utilities etc. will share a unified vision for accelerated and efficient execution.
Puri said that we will be able to bring synergies between multi-modal transportation, logistics & supply chain, urban development, ports and utilities & services to bring about a transformation in both Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business. Indian goods and services will move on an express lane and Indian industry will be able to match the export capabilities of manufacturing hubs like China, Taiwan and South Korea, he added. “PM GatiShakti will ensure multimodal connectivity. For instance, fresh fruits grown in the North East India will swiftly cater to consuming markets and Gulf.” Minister said
Puri said that the petroleum sector will play a crucial role in the North East region's industrial growth. He said that oil production from NER is expected to increase by 67% from 4.11 MMT in 2020-21 to 6.85 MMT in the next 4 years. Shri Puri added that the area under exploration in the region is going to double in near future, with crude production expected to go up by 45% in 4 years, and gas production by about 90% in the same period.
Requesting all the State Government leaders to lend their support to this transformative mission by the way of necessary project clearances and the cooperation of State agencies, Puri said that in order to succeed, this dream needs to be fulfilled by teamwork between State and Central Governments in the spirit of Cooperative Federalism.
Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Prime Minister has brought about a paradigm shift in the development of the country, and PMGS will provide a lot of benefit to the people. He said that the North east is connected to the rest of the country through a chicken-neck, and hence this master plan for connectivity is unique in the nature.
Rameswar Teli said that connectivity through roads, rail, pipelines and waterways is an important requirement of development. He said that PM GatiShakti will bring together all the agencies involved in the supply chain. This will enable the country to grow stronger and reach the world standards
Manoj Kanti Deb said that the scheme will help in infrastructure development, all types of connectivity as well as doubling of farmers’ income. He said that Tripura is primarily an agriculture-based state, and the improved connectivity through PMGS may help in setting up of more industries there. He said that it will benefit every citizen of the country, and provide a new direction to the country.