Cabinet approves Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority to coordinate infrastructure planning
The new authority will prepare a national transport master plan, appraise projects costing ₹500 crore or more and integrate data to support multimodal connectivity and infrastructure monitoring.
ITLA will function as a national apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, policy support and data analytics.
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), a special purpose vehicle to strengthen coordinated planning, research, project appraisal and monitoring across India’s transport and logistics sectors.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, October 6, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau. The authority is intended to address fragmented planning and implementation across transport ministries and agencies.
ITLA will function as a national apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, policy support and data analytics. It will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of at least 10 years, covering roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.
The authority will evaluate ministries’ shorter-term sectoral plans and annual plans to ensure alignment with the national master plan and promote multimodal infrastructure development.
It will undertake technical appraisal of Central government infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more. Financial appraisal will continue through existing mechanisms.
ITLA will also monitor transport and infrastructure projects costing above ₹500 crore, provide a coordinated mechanism to resolve implementation issues and conduct post-implementation impact assessments.
A proposed National Transport Data Repository will bring together datasets from sources including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems. The authority will use this data to analyse freight movements and support planning, monitoring and impact assessment.
Its responsibilities will also include advising on updates to the National Logistics Policy, 2022, supporting training and skilling, and promoting research and innovation in transport and logistics.
The government said the authority would support its Vision 2047 objectives by improving multimodal connectivity and infrastructure efficiency, reducing logistics costs and strengthening India’s global logistics competitiveness.
