New Delhi [India] October 17 (ANI): The 100th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under PM GatiShakti was held on Friday to evaluate key infrastructure projects across the Railways, Road Transport & Highways, and Urban Affairs sectors.

Five projects, including two each from the Ministry of Railways (MoR) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and one from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) were reviewed for their alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

The meeting, chaired by Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT, emphasized integrated multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity, and a 'Whole of Government' approach to boost logistics efficiency and socio-economic development.

Ministry of Railways presented two major proposals. The first aims to quadruple the Hosapete-Ballari line in Karnataka (65 km) to ease congestion and enhance freight capacity in one of the state's most industrialized and mineral rich corridors.

The second railway project involves doubling the 230.5 km Gondia-Jabalpur line across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to improve freight and passenger movement and reduce bottlenecks in the Central India corridor.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) proposed two projects. The first involves the widening and upgradation of the Mahwa-Mandawar section of NH-921 (50.24 km) in Rajasthan, enhancing connectivity between Rajasthan, Delhi NCR, and Haryana.

The second is the construction of a six-lane elevated road with service lanes between Anisabad and Deedarganj (13.37 km) in Bihar, designed to decongest urban traffic and support regional trade.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) presented the Jaipur Metro Phase 2 (42.8 km) from Prahladpura to Todi Mod, featuring 36 stations including key areas like Sitapura Industrial Area, SMS Hospital, and Vidhyadhar Nagar. The corridor will connect with existing lines at Chandpole Station, improving multimodal transport, reducing congestion, and supporting transit-oriented development.

The Network Planning Group noted that all five projects adhere to the principles of PM GatiShakti and are expected to deliver significant socio-economic benefits, improve connectivity, and strengthen logistics efficiency across regions. (ANI)