Page 16 - English 01-15 March, 2026
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COVER STORY | Pragati Platform
During winter, the Manali-Leh Highway
near the Rohtang Pass remained closed for
PRAGATI: A Glance
six months, isolating the region from the
lPRAGATI: A New Path to Development: rest of the country. But now, this road is
There was a time when development open year-round. Prime Minister Narendra
projects, after announcements, would Modi dedicated Atal tunnel to the nation on
get stuck on the ground realities of
implementation. Whether it took more than October 3, 2020
five decades to build the 13.5-kilometer
bypass in Kollam, Kerala, or the Khurda-
Bolangir railway line in Odisha, more
than 25 years to complete, the project was
completed. From North to South, East to
lPRAGATI is a multi-modal platform West, people have seen projects
based on information, communication, that had been stuck, and delayed
and technology (ICT) that aims to review for decades being completed in a
projects and remove obstacles.
lAs of the 50th edition of PRAGATI timely manner
meetings (December 31, 2025), 382 projects Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
with a total cost of over ₹85 lakh crore have
been reviewed.
milestone in the journey of development. So far, en, this is India, not a foreign country.” However,
382 projects worth over ₹85 lakh crore have been it’s important to understand that this project was
accelerated on the Pragati platform. Projects are stalled for three decades, and the current central
reviewed in meetings, which examine the challeng- government has brought it to fruition. Similarly, the
es faced by each ministry, each state, and any law Bogibeel Bridge in Assam is a crucial bridge con-
that might be causing the problem. After carefully necting Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. This project
examining all aspects, solutions are found. Through languished for many years, was reviewed through
the implementation of this Pragati, solutions have progress, and this work, which will bring significant
been found in several areas, be it railways, roads, benefits to the entire Northeast, including Assam,
irrigation, or rural infrastructure. Recently, the has now been completed.
Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line Indeed, the country has thousands of examples
project was completed, and videos of the snow-cov- of the culmination of any plan, i.e., implementation.
ered train have become very popular these days. But the question is, why did Prime Minister Naren-
The Vande Bharat train passes through snow-clad dra Modi take on the responsibility of completing
mountains, and people exclaim, “Don’t be mistak- projects that had been pending for decades? In the
14 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || March 1-15, 2026
