How 'Expressways' Are Pillars For Economy
On Saturday, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Uttar Pradesh's longest 'Ganga Expressway'. The role of infrastructure in promoting and guiding economic development is recognized worldwide, expressways playing a major role in promoting the development of the national and regional economy.
Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Master Plan for 'Multi-Modal Connectivity', which aims to reduce the cost of logistics and develop infrastructure to boost the economy. Logistics cost is up to 13 per cent of the country's GDP, which is impacting exports. The plan is focused on solving this. India is now ranked 35 out of 160 countries in the 'Logistics Performance Index' (LPI). Where it was at number 54 in the year 2014. This will be an important step towards the development of a self-reliant India, as it will bring significant reforms in the areas of critical supply chain and logistics.
The launch of PM Gatishakti National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity will improve global competitiveness. This will help in improving and accelerating the world class infrastructure for the country. At the same time, it will encourage manufacturing and help in modernizing the country's infrastructure. All the departments from road to railway, aviation to agriculture will be connected with this plan. The people of India, the industry of India, the business world of India, the manufacturers of India and the farmers of India are at the center of this movement of Gatishakti. This will give new energy to the present and future generations of India to build the India of 21st century. Along with increasing transparency in the schemes, new employment opportunities will also be available.
The Center will spend around Rs 50,000 crore to build 500 'multi-modal cargo terminals' over the next four to five years under its new PM Gatishakti. These multi-level freight terminals will be located where different modes of transport – road, waterway, airway or other means – will be integrated with the railway terminal.
Under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program, there are plans to build 11 industrial corridors across the country by 2024-25. Gati Shakti will play an important role in the government's plan to connect every state with a natural gas pipeline by 2027. In the year 2014, the National Highways operated by NHAI were 91,000 km long, which will be expanded to 2 lakh km by the year 2024-25.
The government is setting up industrial corridors to focus on inclusive growth. The heartbeat of a country's economy depends on the roads that act as its arteries, for the first time in the country, 37 km of national highways are being built every day from 6 to 10 lanes. Today India has the second largest road network globally, The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is likely to be completed by March 2023 and is being built as part of the first phase of the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana'. India witnessed a historic moment on September 9, 2021, when an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force was dedicated to the nation on the National Highway in Barmer, Rajasthan. This was the first time that a national highway was used as an ELF for aircraft. It explains the importance of road construction in strengthening the security network and infrastructure of the country. Currently 12 more ELFs are being manufactured across the country.
Just as without skill manpower we cannot achieve required results in any field, similarly without modern infrastructure we cannot make all-round development. like the lines of fate, Roads are becoming the way of progress.
