New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the 54th PRAGATI meeting and reviewed infrastructure projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore across 31 States and Union Territories, emphasising timely execution, faster railway station redevelopment and measures to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.

In a post shared on X, the Prime Minister said, 'Chaired the 54th PRAGATI meeting yesterday. The focus areas: Reviewed projects worth over Rs. 16,000 crore across 31 States and UTs. Faster redevelopment of railway stations as multimodal hubs. Boosting self-reliance in pharma manufacturing. Ekta Malls to empower artisans and local businesses.'

'The focus is clear...substantive outcomes, timely execution and long lasting benefits for people,' he added.

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2115639861923430523

PM Modi chaired the 54th meeting of PRAGATI, the ICT-enabled, multi-modal platform aimed at fostering Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, at Seva Teerth.

According to an official release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the platform brings together the Central and State Governments to address implementation bottlenecks and improve the delivery of projects and welfare schemes.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed infrastructure projects across the Railways, Ekta Malls and Drug Parks covering 31 States/ UTs and costing more than 16 thousand crores. These projects, pivotal to economic growth and public welfare, were reviewed with a focus on timelines, inter-agency coordination, and timely issue resolution.

PM Modi underlined that PM Ekta Malls should provide markets for local products, strengthen the livelihoods of artisans and help them expand their enterprises. He called for linking the malls with tourism and local businesses, noting that increased demand could create employment in rural production, packaging, storage and transportation. He stressed the need for regular review of progress by Chief Secretaries and to ensure timely completion of the malls.

Reviewing Bulk Drug Parks in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, PM Modi stressed the need to prioritise domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and essential inputs to strengthen self-reliance, a release said.

Prime Minister asked Chief Secretaries to review schemes with District Magistrates every month to address implementation gaps and ensure that benefits reach eligible beneficiaries on time. He emphasised that governance must focus on outcomes over outlays, ensuring that public expenditure translates into tangible improvements in people's lives.

Referring to the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes, he highlighted the role of convergence, regular monitoring and local accountability in accelerating development in underserved areas. He noted that sustained efforts to strengthen governance and improve the delivery of welfare schemes had helped nearly 25 crore people move out of multidimensional poverty, the release further said.

During the review of the redevelopment of Ahmedabad railway station, PM called for expediting the redevelopment of major railway stations across the country to improve passenger convenience and ease of travel. He emphasised that redeveloped stations should serve as multimodal transport hubs, with seamless connectivity to metro and other transport networks.

Prime Minister asked the concerned Ministries and State Governments to resolve bottlenecks in mission mode, strengthen Centre-State and inter-agency coordination, and ensure close monitoring at the senior-most level.

Calling for a proactive work culture with greater ownership at every level, he stressed the need to anticipate implementation challenges, take timely decisions and fix clear accountability for completing projects on schedule, the release added. (ANI)