The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) to strengthen research, planning, project appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment in the transport and logistics sectors.
The move seeks to address challenges arising from fragmented planning and implementation across multiple transport-related Ministries and agencies.
The government said greater coordination and integration across different modes of transport will help improve the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of infrastructure development in the country.
ITLA will function as the national apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, with responsibilities including research, project appraisal, policy support, monitoring and data analytics.
A key responsibility of the authority will be the preparation of a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of 10 years or more. The plan will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.
ITLA will also evaluate short-term sectoral plans of around five years and annual plans of transport Ministries to ensure their alignment with the National Transport Master Plan and promote multimodal infrastructure development.
The authority will undertake technical appraisal of Central government infrastructure projects costing Rs 500 crore or more. Financial appraisal of these projects will continue to be undertaken through existing financial appraisal mechanisms.
ITLA will also monitor the implementation of transport and infrastructure projects above Rs 500 crore and provide a coordinated mechanism for resolving issues. It will undertake post-implementation impact assessments to evaluate the outcomes of major projects.
Another key component of ITLA will be the creation of a National Transport Data Repository (NTDR). The repository will integrate transport and logistics data from multiple sources, including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems.
The authority will use the integrated data for analytics, including freight-flow and origin-destination analysis, to support planning, project monitoring and impact assessment.
ITLA will also advise and assist in the review and updation of the National Logistics Policy, 2022.
The authority will undertake capacity building, training and skilling initiatives in the logistics sector and promote research and innovation in transport and logistics.
The government said the establishment of ITLA will contribute to India’s Vision 2047 by strengthening multimodal connectivity, improving infrastructure efficiency, reducing logistics costs and enhancing the country’s global logistics competitiveness.
-PIB
