PM GatiShakti district-level workshop held in Thiruvananthapuram

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) The third district-level workshop of PM GatiShakti (PMGS) National Master Plan (NMP) was held in Thiruvananthapuram (Southern Zone) on Tuesday with over 175 participants from Central ministries, state governments and district-level officials of 14 districts from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said. 

The officials from these states were from the Infrastructure and Social Sector Departments, including planning, industries, education, forest, zila parishad, aspirational block, panchayat, revenue, water and land.

Officials from Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Island and Lakshadweep also participated virtually in the workshop.

Kerala's Minister for Industries, Coir, and Law, P. Rajeev emphasised at the meeting that PMGS NMP is enabling decentralised planning by taking into account the geographical and topographical advantages and limitations, supported by various datasets including data on land records mapped on the portal.

He urged that officers across state departments and districts in the southern states should leverage the portal for planning multimodal connectivity at ports and airports, internet connectivity, training institutes, disaster preparedness, etc.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Centre's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in his special address highlighted that mapped data such as landslide zones, demographics, elevation, flood-prone areas, schools, hospitals, transportation networks, warehouses, telecommunication networks, emergency landing sites, and soil conditions on the PM GatiShakti NMP can be extremely valuable for disaster management.

This data will enable district officials to make informed, data-driven decisions during emergencies, he added.

He encouraged district officials to map the data on the District Mater Portal, which is expected to launch by the end of September 2024.

The event was inaugurated by A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries, Kerala, Surendra Kumar Ahirwar, Joint Secretary, DPIIT (Logistics) and. S. Harikishore, MD, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) along with other officers.

Principal Secretary, Industries, Kerala highlighted that utilizing the PMGS NMP for planning can significantly enhance growth in the social sector, improve disaster preparedness, and facilitate multimodal connectivity in the region.

To achieve this, active engagement at the grassroots level is essential, making the roles of district collectors crucial in identifying the unique priorities, challenges, and characteristics of their districts and hence utilise the GIS portal for area development planning in an efficient manner.

Joint Secretary, DPIIT underscored the scale and scope of PMGS NMP and encouraged district officers to adopt the portal for infrastructure and socio-economic planning.

A presentation was also made on Vizhinjam port as a special use case of PMGS NMP.

By leveraging the portal and data, the port is expected to enhance multimodal connectivity and maritime trade, reduce logistical bottlenecks, and provide a significant boost to the regional economy.

During the workshop, district collectors from Thiruvananthapuram & Ernakulum (Kerala), Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharamaraju & Y.S.R Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), and Asifabad, Bhoopalapally & Bhadradri-Kothagudem (Telangana) highlighted potential areas for infrastructure and social sector development using the portal.

Hands-on training sessions were also held to sensitise the participants about the benefits of PM GatiShakti including identification of area development use cases fully connected to all-weather roads, facilities of power, internet, drinking water, etc.

The workshop served as an effective means for bringing together relevant stakeholders of the PM GatiShakti NMP for extensive deliberations and cross-learning between districts, states/ UTs and Central ministries/departments, the official statement added.