Page 17 - English 01-15 March, 2026

Pragati Platform | COVER STORY

true sense, it is this confluence of policy, intention,
and decision that forms the basis of any plan, and Understand the pace
today progress has become synonymous with it. and importance of
This is not limited to old projects; even the projects PRAGATI in this way
initiated by Prime Minister Modi keep a constant
eye on progress.
PRAGATI was launched on March 25, 2015
FROM “SWAGAT” TO “PRAGATI,” A NEW
JOURNEY OF DEVELOPMENT 50 382
Consider the example of the Pragati Platform. A
train to Una in Himachal Pradesh was announced meetings have Major national
in Parliament decades ago. However, until PM Modi been held so far. projects were reviewed.
came to power, the plan hadn’t even been drawn 61 government schemes,
on paper. When this issue was brought up at the 85 including the prominent
Pragati Platform, chaired by PM Modi, a solution ones: One Nation One
was found, and today, the train is fulfilling the Projects worth Ration Card, PM Jan Arogya
dreams of the mountains. The Pragati Platform ad- more than ₹1 Yojana, PM Awas Yojana,
lakh crore were
dressed numerous issues, examining why projects accelerated. PM SVANidhi Scheme, and
Swachh Bharat Mission.
were stalled, what was causing the cost overruns,
which department was responsible for the delays, 36 sectors’ complaints resolved,
and who had improperly caused the delays. A including issues on Corona, RERA,
project that was supposed to cost ₹900 crore had banking, insurance, Matru Vandana
Yojana, and the Jan Dhan Yojana.
swelled to ₹90,000 crore. Similarly, when the Navi
Mumbai International Airport was discussed at the issues were were
Pragati meeting in 2015, Prime Minister Modi was 7,735 raised, of which 7,156 resolved.
astonished. The committee for a second airport in
the commercial capital, Mumbai, was first formed Capital Expenditure
in November 1997. Since then, for nearly 20 years,
files have been circulating. In the meantime, numer- From ₹4.26 lakh crore in FY 2014 to an
ous governments came and left office, but the Navi estimated ₹15.53 lakh crore in FY 2015-26, it
increased by more than three and a half times.

March 1-15, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 15