The Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, PRAGATI, has marked a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting. Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, PRAGATI has transformed governance by enabling real-time monitoring and resolution of key infrastructure projects and public grievances through direct Prime Ministerial review. The platform exemplifies cooperative federalism, bringing together the Centre, States, and Union Ministries on a single digital interface. Over a decade, PRAGATI has helped accelerate decision-making and resolution of issues causing delay in key infrastructure projects and instilled a strong culture of accountability.
The Patna-Ganga Rail cum Road Bridge, popularly known as J P Setu, was conceived as a transformational multimodal infrastructure intervention across the River Ganga at Patna in Bihar. The project was designed to resolve a long-standing structural bottleneck in the north-south connectivity of Bihar by integrating rail and road transportation on a single bridge structure. The project was sanctioned in November 2001 at a cost of three thousand 774 crore rupees. The project encountered significant on-ground challenges like land-related constraints, encroachments, resettlement and rehabilitation.
Due to the delay in execution of the project, its cost increased by five times. The project was reviewed during the PRAGATI meeting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 25TH March 2015. During the meeting, Mr Modi directed the handover of the land to the railway and expeditious disbursement of compensation. With focused monitoring and timely resolution of implementation challenges, the project achieved 100 per cent physical progress and was completed on 4th March 2022.
The Bridge fundamentally transformed connectivity across the river Ganga, reduced logistics costs for agricultural produce, industrial goods, and essential commodities, and strengthened regional supply chains and market access.
