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COVER STORY

Aurangabad, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Thane). The project
is being handled by Maharashtra State Road Development
Corporation (MSRDC). While the first phase of the expressway from
Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated in December 2022, the second
phase from Shirdi to Mumbai will most likely be opened in June of
2023. A new economic corridor will come up on the expressway
route, and 14 districts will be integrated and connected to the port
through this expressway. When fully operational, the expressway
will reduce the travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai by half,
from 16 to eight hours.

INFUSING VIGOUR
As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, while the National
Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and the National Monetization Pipeline
(NMP) would provide the much-needed impetus for stepping up
infrastructure investment, the National Logistical Policy will address
the gaps in services, digital infrastructure and skills in the logistics
Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC): The WDFC connects workforce the Economic Survey states. Further, PM GatiShakti, with
Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai a multimodal approach, is designed to fill the gaps in physical
while traversing through five states of UP (18 km), Haryana (177 infrastructure and to integrate existing and proposed infrastructure
km), Rajasthan (565 km), Gujarat (565 km) and Maharashtra (177 development initiatives of different agencies. As physical
km). The western corridor covers a distance of 1,504 km through infrastructure requires continuous support over its long gestation
double line electric (2 X 25 KV) track from JNPT to Dadri via period, the government has also set up National Bank for Financing
Vadodara-Ahmedabad-Palanpur-Phulera-Rewari. The Western Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) as development
DFC is proposed to join the Eastern DFC at Dadri. Alignment has financial institution to set in motion a virtuous investment cycle.
been generally kept parallel to existing lines except provision of An institutional mechanism to fast-track investments has been put
detour at Diva, Surat, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, in place, in the form of Project Development Cells (PDCs) in all
Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Phulera and Rewari. However, it is entirely concerned Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, notes
on a new alignment from Rewari to Dadri. the Economic Survey.
The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee has cleared
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC): The EDFC with a route 79 projects with a total project cost of `2,27,268.1 crore from FY15
length of 1,337 km starts from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) to FY23. To provide financial assistance to financially unviable but
and passes through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and terminates socially/ economically desirable PPP projects, the Department
at Sonnagar in Bihar. The Eastern Corridor will traverse through four of Economic Affairs launched the Viability Gap Funding (VGF)
states with maximum length in Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana having scheme in 2006. From 2014-15 to 2022-23, under the VGF
the least coverage. Also, a 538-km stretch between Sonnagar in Scheme, 56 projects with TPC of `57870.1 crore were granted
Bihar and Dankuni in West Bengal is to be executed under the In-Principle Approval and 27 projects with TPC of `25263.8 crore
public-private partnership (PPP) mode. were granted final approval with a Total Viability Gap Funding
approval of `5813.6 crore (Both GoI & State Share). The total VGF
Mumbai Nagpur Expressway amount disbursed by DEA under the scheme from FY15 to FY23 is
The 701-km long Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, built at the cost `2982.4 crore. Further, a scheme for financial support for project
of `49,250 crore, passes through 392 villages spread over 10 development expenses of PPP Projects – the ‘India Infrastructure
districts (Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Project Development Fund Scheme’ (IIPDF) – was also notified by
the government on 3 November 2022 with an outlay of `150 crore
for a period of 3 years from FY23 to FY25, stated the Economic
Survey.
“As India completes 75 years of Independence, the nation is
evolving into a prominent force in the global economic order.
India is the world’s fifth largest economy and the prospect of
steady progress in the coming years is bright. Here, the critical
role played by infrastructure in economic growth cannot be
overemphasised. Investing in high-quality infrastructure is crucial
for accelerating economic growth and sustaining it in the long
run,” the Economic Survey highlighted. With such an impressive
line-up of projects & policy interventions, it’s only a matter of time
when we will witness some of the most acclaimed infrastructure
projects Made in India for India.

28 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|FEBRUARY 2023