File photo: PM Modi
NEW DELHI: Setting the ground for establishing an apex Transport Planning Authority, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of cabinet ministers and secretaries responsible for transport-related ministries, which will be tasked with the comprehensive planning for the entire transportation ecosystem.Sources said the best international examples were discussed in the meeting, including the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), a think tank under the PMO in South Korea that provides recommendations and alternatives for the nation’s transport policy. They added that other models of preparing transport plans, including of China, were also discussed.“PM has been vocal about breaking silos and going for integrated planning of infrastructure development. He emphasised the need for integrated transport planning to get maximum results. The need of an ecosystem for this in India was discussed in detail, considering that at present there is no apex agency and each ministry has its own vision document. There is less inter-ministerial, state brainstorming and everything is mostly consultant driven,” said a source.TOI on Sept 23 had reported the government’s plan to set up an apex empowered agency for preparation of comprehensive transport strategies for all modes of transportation and end-to-end mobility. Sources said that due to a lack of such an entity there are no defined five-year or 10-year plans and the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan has become only a project appraisal platform. Moreover, there are multiple frameworks for monitoring projects and there is no agency to suggest global best practices and innovative methods of implementation. “There is also no agency to take up policy advocacy and recommend changes in Acts and rules. There is no mechanism of mid-course correction in case of failure,” said an official.As per the plan, a National Institute for Transport Planning will be set up while a Gati-Shakti Transport Planning and Research Organisation will be established in the cabinet secretariat.To begin with, the govt will constitute a Group of Transport Experts (GTE) in fields like transport planning, supply chain management, data science and network optimisation from IITs in Delhi, Chennai and BHU, and BITS (Pilani). This will provide technical support to the sectoral group of secretaries. The group will suggest appropriate plans for five, 10 and 15 years.
