Govt Speeding Up Infra Projects, To Strengthen Logistics Sector, Boost Economy, Says Sonowal

India's economy will not be strong unless the logistics system is improved, so the government is speeding up infrastructure projects, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday. Addressing the 'PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit 2022' here, Sonowal said there are 111 waterways in the country and the steps that the government has taken to improve logistics have made significant progress towards making India self-reliant.

Also speaking at the event, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is providing the much needed impetus to projects and has emerged to be a key growth driver. "No one has an effective tool like PM Gati Shakti, not even the most developed nations in the world," Goyal added. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the entire country is watching the progress that is being made in every field through the PM Gati Shakti scheme.

Uttar Pradesh is a key beneficiary of the scheme and has sufficient water resources available which will accelerate the pace of development, he added. At the event, a new website for Trade Facilitation Centre for Inland Water and Coastal Transport was also launched for users of waterways and coastal shipping to access relevant operational and commercial information A memorandum of understanding between Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd for electric-battery powered hybrid catamarans for Assam was also signed at the summit The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan aims at providing multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various SEZs and enhancing logistical efficiency. The plan aims to integrate the implementation of all existing and proposed infrastructure development initiatives to support faster and efficient movement of people and goods.

(PTI)