Why in the News?

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary led a high-level meeting to review key issues affecting mega infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Delhi, and Jharkhand.

Key Points:

Review of Key Infrastructure Projects:

=> The meeting reviewed 21 issues across 17 significant projects, including 9 projects under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

=> The total cost of all projects exceeded Rs 13,501 crore.

=> The Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Expressway project, valued at Rs 9,623.72 crore, was a major focus.

=> This project involved seven issues across six packages.

Focus on New NITs in Strategic Locations:

=> The meeting emphasized the government's plan to establish new National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in strategic locations.

=> These NITs aim to bridge regional disparities in technical education and meet the rising demand for skilled engineers and technical professionals.

=> Beyond academics, these institutions will drive regional economic growth by fostering innovation, research, and industry collaboration.

Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Expressway Project:

=> This expressway is a key project under the Bharat Mala Yojana, enhancing regional connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

=> It is expected to boost trade and freight movement, benefiting industries that rely on the Kolkata and Haldia ports for maritime trade.

Commitment to Efficient Project Monitoring:

=> The Secretary reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the institutional framework for project monitoring.

=> He directed authorities to adopt a proactive approach in resolving pending project issues.

=> He urged private proponents to utilize the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) mechanism (PMG Portal) for expedited project implementation.

=> The PMG mechanism ensures efficient and timely resolution of concerns through collaboration among the Central Government, State Authorities, and Private Stakeholders.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT):

About:

• It was established in 1995 and was reconstituted in 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development.
• It was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; and was renamed DPIIT in 2019.
• In 2018, the matters related to e-Commerce were transferred to the Department and in 2019, the Department was given charge for matters related to internal trade, welfare of traders and their employees and startups.

Objective:

• Reduce the compliance burden, simplify further the citizen-government interface whether online or offline, and remove antiquated and obsolete acts which don’t add value.
• To boost manufacturing and make Indian industry competitive, there are issues of quality and manufacturing of scale but the compliance burden is a major cost.