A separate ministry for logistics that can integrate ports, railways, roads, airways and inland waterways was mooted by the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

This will help in transport and shipping sector contribute at least 2 per cent to the country’s GDP, the chamber said in its presentation to Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Roadways, Highways and Shipping, on Monday.

J Krishnan, Chairman of the Logistics Committee of the chamber, in his presentation said that the two per cent target is somewhat understated, and it can be far more than that if an integrated logistics ministry is in place.

Unless a good infrastructure is in place, having an efficient Make in India programme, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, would be a big challenge, he said.

Inter ministerial rivalries and trust deficit between the Centre and states due to different political affiliations have remained a major roadblock for commissioning and complete major infrastructure projects.

To create a world-class infrastructure, a holistic approach needs to be adopted. In the Indian context, ministries controlling infrastructure are road, rail, air, shipping, industry and different state governments.

Railways focuses on passenger movement, while the National Highways Authority of India and ports do not enter into pre-planning consultations. As the project progresses, bottlenecks emerge and disrupt the progress of the projects, Krishnan said.

Related Topics