Insulate economy from bellicose politics
Union Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s approach towards PM GatiShakti has the potential of galvanizing not just infrastructure but the entire gamut of economic development. Launched in October 2021, PM GatiShakti is a National Master Plan (NMP) for multi-modal connectivity. A digital platform, it brought 16 ministries together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.Goyal wants the plan to be effectively leveraged using the area development approach to extend benefits beyond the infrastructure sector, which alludes to a holistic attitude that is aimed at breaking silos and integrating various developmental measures. At a meeting to review the progress of PM GatiShakti with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and eight other ministries this week, Goyal emphasized the need to harness the full potential of the integrated platform.
It may be mentioned here that a few weeks earlier, the government included all Union Ministries and departments related to social sectors with PM GatiShakti. This translated into 30 ministries and departments working in tandem. Accordingly, many of the 61 social sector data layers under central ministries have already been mapped on the NMP.This means that infrastructure assets have been integrated online, including primary and secondary schools, colleges, PHCs, district hospitals, health sub-centres, public toilets, dump yards, Anganwadi centres, fair price shops, Amrit samovars and dairy locations. Integration means optimization of use. Individual portals for 22 infrastructure and user economic ministries and all 36 States/UTs have been created and integrated with the NMP at the backend.Goyal said that the agriculture sector can be supported by setting up common facilities on agricultural lands by cooperatives and start-ups using the integrated framework of PM GatiShakti and NMP data. He pointed out that the area development approach could be used for engaging with aspirational districts of Niti Aayog.
The whole-of-government style is good, but the Central government must ensure that this does not result in wholesale confusion. It is a well-acknowledged fact, except by those who are doctrinally and politically opposed to Modi, that his government has done well in the infrastructure sector. And it is visible. Considerable achievements have been made in road making in the last few years; roads are far wider and better than they were, say, at the turn of the century. Railways, ports, airports—improvement can be seen across sectors.
The whole-of-government style of development, however, is predicated upon a working, if not cordial, relationship between the Centre and state governments as also between the ruling party in Delhi and opposition parties. That, unfortunately, is not the case at present, primarily because of the excessively aggressive political stands of the Bharatiya Janata Party.The last nine years have seen the BJP grow from strength to strength—along with its aggressiveness and, its detractors would add, brazenness. This threatens to erode, if not undo, the good work the Modi government has done on the economic front.It is time the Centre worked towards insulating its economic policy and feats from the vicissitudes of politics. It would be tragic for the government, the BJP, and indeed the entire nation, if politics trumps economics.
