The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Centre’s flagship highways development plan ‘Bharatmala’ is eyeing to fast-track the building of multimodal logistics parks (MMLP) projects.
As per reports, a separate entity under it will be set up that will look after the multimodal logistics parks and port connectivity projects. The new company will build multimodal logistic parks and 1100 kilometres of port roads.
“It will be a kind of special purpose vehicle, which will specifically look after these projects,” a senior official informed ET.
An existing firm named Cochin Port Road Company Limited is being rechristened as National Highways Logistics Management Company Limited, and will be handed over the mandate.
“We are looking for a CEO for the company,” the official said.
Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari recently laid the foundation stone for India’s first Multi modal Logistics Park at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district of Assam. The logistics hub include widening of the National Highway 17 between Guwahati and Goalpara to a four-lane highway, the doubling of the New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Guwahati railway line, upgrading the Jogighopa river port of the Brahmaputra as an all-weather river port and facilitating a seamless interchange between the three modes of transport.
Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) are a key policy initiative of the Government of India to improve the country’s logistics sector by lowering overall freight costs, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion, and cutting warehousing costs. The centre has proposed 35 multi-modal projects across the nation.
At present, MMLPs to be built in Chennai, Nagpur and Surat are in advanced stages. Further, the state government of Karnataka has also agreed to provide land for an MMLP to be built in Bengaluru, the official said.
