PM GatiShakti NMP receives PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022, in the category 'Innovation-Central' was conferred by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) at the 16th Civil Services Day Celebration for the successful implementation of the prestigious ‘PM GatiShakti National Master Plan’programme.

The Prime Minister appreciated theeffortsmadeunderPMGatiShakti andfurthersetthevisionaheadforall line Ministries and States/UTs. He highlighted all data layers related to any infrastructure that can be found on a single platform and stressed upon the need to utilize it to themaximumforbetterplanningand executioninthesocialsector.

ThePrimeMinisterfurtheradded that it will greatly benefit in identifying the needs of citizens, tackling issues related to education that might arise in the future, and enhancing communication between Departments, Districts and Blocks while also helping in the formulation offuturestrategies.

As on date, PM GatiShakti NMP has 1450+ data layers, belonging to Central Ministries (585) and States/UTs (870+). More than 30 Central Ministries / Departments including Infrastructure, Economic and Social sector line Ministries / Departments and all 36 States/ UTs have been onboarded. The institutional mechanism of Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), Network Planning Group (NPG) and Technical Support Unit (TSU)isinplaceandfullyoperational at both national and sub-national level.

All Ministries / Departments and States/UTs are using and have benefitted from planning on PM GatiShaktiNMPintermsofsavingsin time and cost, optimized planning, faster clearances, cost effective implementation, reduction in project pendency, ease of inter-ministerial coordination,etc.

Initiativeson comprehensive area development- PM GatiShakti Area Approach with a vision to create adequate infrastructure for catalysing socio-economic developmentinasustainablemanner within a rational geographical location through a convergence approacharealsobeingundertaken.

For wider adoption of PM GatiShakti, five Regional Workshopscoveringall36States/UTs tobringmorevigorandbuildsynergy with all the stakeholders of the PM GatiShaktiNMPhavebeenorganized between 20th February 2023 and 12th April 2023 at Goa, Kochi, Srinagar,GuwahatiandVaranasi.

Government set to tweak captive Berth Policy for Major Ports

NEW DELHI: Cargo berths run by port dependent industries for their captive use at state-owned major ports will be allowed to extend their contract beyond the original time frame through a right of first refusal (RoFR) mechanism when such facilities are put to re-tender on completing the term, according to a proposal drafted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

The proposal for extension of the agreement for captive berths forms a key part of the plan to amend the ‘Policy for Award of Waterfront and Associated Land to Port Dependent Industries (PDI) in Major Ports’, which was approved by the Cabinet in 2016, Governmentsourcessaid.

“Theexistingcaptivepolicydoesnot have the provision for extension of the agreement.So,wearenowproposingto make provision for extension also because normally the concession periodis30years,andiftheinvestorhas established the facility with dedicated business to the port, they may ask for continuationalso,”saidanofficial.

The extension of the concession period for captive berths will be on bidding basis to factor in the changes that have taken place since the facility was first awarded, both trade wise and tariffregimewise.

The aim is to go for a fresh price discovery for the facility taking “contemporary issues” into consideration. “This is necessary to re-evaluate the asset based on the current market scenario/dynamics, whileextendingtheconcessionperiod,” theofficialstated.

“On completing the duration, a captive berth will be re-tendered wherein the existing operator will be given the first right of refusal to match the highest bid and continue running theberth,”theofficialsaid.

The changes being worked out will makethecaptiveberthpolicy“uniform” across major ports. Many of the captive berths currently in operation pre-dates the policy that was introduced in 2016 with the approval of the Cabinet. These captive berths are now governed by different agreements for different durations. Some of them are coming up forrenewalsoon.

The proposed amendments will havetoberatifiedbytheCabinet.

“Many industries in and around a major port are dependent on the captive facility. If the captive berth is taken away suddenly, all of them will be in jeopardy. So,itisimperativetooffertherightoffirst refusal to the existing operator,” said the Deputy Chairman at one of the majorportsontheeasterncoast.

The 2016 policy is being tweaked to bring all the facilitiesonto one platform, headded.

Withreferencetoamajorport,aport dependent industry (PDI) is defined as an entity (including any of its affiliates) which is dependent on that major port for import and/or export of at least 70 per cent of the designed capacity of theproposedfacilityforcaptivecargo.

Optimal utilization of land and waterfront at the disposal of the major ports is of critical importance, the Cabinet said while approving the Captivepolicyin2016.

“The objective of the policy is to ensure uniformity and transparency in the procedure for awarding captive facilities. The policy will help generate committed business for the major ports on a long-term basis by facilitating the developmentandoperationofdedicated port facilities by industries which are substantially dependent on a particular major port for import and/or export of theircargoandthusplayacatalyticrole in the eventual realization of the objectives of port led development,” itsaid.

Allocation of waterfront and associatedlandtoport-basedindustries on public-private-partnership (PPP) and captive basis is one of the areas which have been identified for investment by the private sector in majorports.

Port Dependent Industries (PDI) will be granted concessions for setting up dedicated facilities in major ports for import and export of cargo and their storage before transportation to destination for 30 years, per the policy finalisedin2016.

Forex reserves rise by $1.657 bn to $586.412 bn

MUMBAI: India's forex reserves rose by $1.657 billion to $586.412 billion as of April 14, marking their second consecutive week of increase, accordingtotheRBIdatareleased.

In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves rose by $6.306 billion to $584.755billion.FortheweekendedApril 14, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $2.204billionto$516.635billion,according to the Weekly Statistical Supplement releasedbytheRBI.

Gold reserves dropped by $521 million to $46.125 billion, the RBI said. The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were down by $38 million to $18.412 billion,theapexbanksaid.