Cabinet Approves Integrated Transport And Logistics Authority To Unify Planning

The Union Cabinet has approved a framework that will bring transport planning, project appraisal, monitoring and logistics data analysis under an apex authority, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The proposed Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) will work across several transport-related sectors and provide policy support for integrated planning.

Authority to prepare long-term transport plan

The ITLA will prepare a long-term Transport Plan covering roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics, Mr. Vaishnaw said.

An official statement said the Cabinet had “approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely, Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of transportation and logistics”.

The approval is aimed at addressing long-standing challenges caused by fragmented planning and implementation across multiple transport-related Ministries and agencies, according to the statement.

The authority is expected to promote greater coordination and multi-modal integration in transport infrastructure development. The government said this would help improve the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of such development in India.

Review of sectoral and annual plans

The ITLA will evaluate short-term sectoral plans of about five years and the annual plans of transport Ministries. These evaluations will seek to ensure that the plans are consistent with and aligned to the National Transport Master Plan.

The authority will also promote multi-modal infrastructure development, linking the planning of different transport sectors within a broader framework. Its role will include research, project appraisal, monitoring, impact assessment, policy support and data analytics.

The stated focus on coordination is significant because the official statement identified fragmented planning and implementation across different Ministries and agencies as a continuing challenge.

Appraisal and monitoring of major projects

The ITLA will undertake the technical appraisal of government infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more. Financial appraisal, however, will continue to be carried out through existing mechanisms.

The authority will monitor the implementation of transport and infrastructure projects worth more than ₹500 crore. It will also provide a coordinated mechanism for resolving issues that arise during implementation.

After these projects are completed, the ITLA will undertake a post-implementation impact assessment. This will add an assessment stage to its responsibilities beyond planning, technical appraisal and project monitoring.

Unified data repository planned

The authority will build a unified transport data repository by obtaining relevant transport and logistics datasets from multiple sources.

These sources will include the GST Network (GSTN) e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems, urban traffic management systems and other relevant databases. The ITLA will use the data for planning, monitoring and impact assessment.

The authority will also advise and assist in reviewing and updating the National Logistics Policy (2022). Its responsibilities will further include capacity building, training and skilling in the logistics sector.

Source: The Hindu