The Indian government’s vision on infrastructure aligns with the the four-step mantra of scope, scale, speed and skill, while also ensuring optimum utilisation, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In an exclusive interview with Sanjay Pugalia, editor-in-chief of NDTV, Modi spoke on multiple issues, including technological advancements. Here's what he said.
Infrastructure Needs Are Higher
On infrastructure, Modi said even though the construction of roads, bridges and airports have increased rapidly, it's still short of what the country needs.
While people compared India with other countries that became independent around the same time, they have progressed faster than us, he said, adding poverty became a "virtue" and found acceptance.
Infrastructure earlier was bound by corruption, and misused for personal gains, the idea being "the larger the project, the more the chance to earn money". He also said many such projects remained only on paper.
This government, he said, focused not just on building infrastructure but also utlilising it optimally. Initially, while reviewing lapses in project delays, the prime minister said mindset of bureaucracy cannot just be limited to their personal growth and promotions. "They should be aware of the purpose of their life," he said.
A lot of work has gone into human resource development and use of technology in governance, the prime minister said. Hence, for growth of infrastructure we must classify it into physical, technological and social infrastructure.
This subdivision, or the "mantra" of infrastructure, is scope, scale, speed and skill, he said.
Scope, Scale, Speed And Skill
Modi said scope and scale of infrastructure should be big and not just limited to piecemeal execution. "The speed of decision making in infrastructure process is (also) key here. And finally, the skill needed to execute the projects is vital," he said.
All of this is essential for growth of infrastructure and to fuel the next level of growth and speed, the government has launched the Gati Shakti Programme, the prime minister said.
Innovation Through Gati Shakti And UPI
Modi said while the world has taken note of India’s digital infrastructure, with the Unified Payment Interface, or UPI, there hasn’t been much focus on the Gati Shakti programme.
The programme, launched on Oct. 13, 2021, ensures inter-departmental communication and avoid multiple project delays and wastage of resources. Through the Gati Shakti portal, as many as 16 departments, including roads and railways, planned and coordinated while implementing infrastructure projects.
Schemes such as the Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Udan, inland waterways and economic zones for textile, defence, fishing, etc., were brought under Gati Shakti to avoid delays and discrepancies.
Modi pointed out that this portal helps to access data of any project in India, leading to increased logistics support and lower transport costs. Feedback from state chief secretaries, he said, helped cut through 1,600 layers of data leading to nimbler decision making for infrastructure projects.
The government's recent budgetary allocation for infrastructure was Rs 11.11 lakh crore, from Rs 2-3 lakh crore a few years ago, Modi said.
Tech In Railways
With technology, the government has reduced unmanned crossings, a safety hazard, by a large extent. A focus on electrification has led to almost 100% electrification of railways.
The prime minister said differentiating track networks for goods and passenger trains has aided tourism and created multiple hubs, enabling seamless rail journeys.
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