Centre plans 17 projects for state

Patna: At least 17 projects formulated by the Network Planning Group (NPG) of the Centre will either be located in Bihar or pass through the state, including the integrated manufacturing cluster (IMC) to be established at Gaya as part of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) project.
E Srinivas, joint secretary of the Centre’s Department for Promotion of Industrial and Internal Trade (DPIIT) told reporters on Thursday that the NPG has evaluated 213 projects, of which 17 are either located in Bihar or transit through the state.He added that the Gaya IMC has also undergone evaluation.
Incidentally, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned the Gaya IMC in her 2024-25 Union budgetary speech in the Lok Sabha following the 2024 parliamentary elections. The DPIIT, associated with the Union commerce and industry ministry, focuses on formulating and implementing promotional and developmental measures for the industrial sector.
Srinivas was addressing reporters after the conclusion of a one-day workshop on the area development approach (ADA) envisioned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP). The Patna workshop was the fourth for the districts with over 100 districts across the country, including aspirational districts, expected to be covered by the sixth and final workshop. District magistrates (DMs) from 44 districts in Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal participated in the Patna workshop. Bihar was represented by the DM of Katihar.
“The objective of the workshop was to sensitise the DMs to the district-level area development approach, basing it on geo-spatial information system (GIS) mapping for the fast compliance with environmental and forest clearances, which helps in making integrated planning of infrastructure development or any other economic activity,” Srinivas said.
“When the PM Gati Shakti portal was launched, all 38 Bihar districts got on the platform with their area-specific data on economic activities and in fact, they also put additional data on the portal,” he said, adding that the portal is linked with 16 Union ministries.
During Thursday’s workshop, the Katihar DM identified suitable sites for establishing industrial clusters and multi-modal connectivity across existing and upcoming industrial clusters, highlighting potential for developing processing cluster units for makhana, maize and jute near the Manihari national highway. DMs from other districts also made presentations.
Earlier, in his inaugural address, state industries minister Nitish Mishra highlighted the importance of data, including that collected through GIS mapping, for effective project planning and efficient implementation. Industries department secretary Bandana Preyashi said that the PM Gati Shakti portal aids in streamlining the clearance processes.