"PRAGATI’s massive reach: 3,300 projects worth ₹85 lakh crore expedited to date, says Cabinet Secretary."

Over 3,300 stalled projects worth ₹85 lakh crore have been fast-tracked under the government’s Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform, significantly reducing delays in landmark infrastructure projects such as the Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link and the recently inaugurated Navi Mumbai airport.

Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan, addressing a press conference on the outcomes of 50 PRAGATI meetings, highlighted the transformative impact of the platform. “PRAGATI took up 3,300 projects, raised 7,735 issues, and resolved 7,156 of them,” he said.

Among the success stories is the 42,760-crore Jammu–Srinagar rail link, which cuts through the Himalayas with 38 tunnels and 943 bridges. While building the first 40% of the track took over 20 years, the remaining 60% was completed in under 11 years. Somanathan noted that at the earlier pace, the rail line would have been finished only by 2038. Similarly, the Navi Mumbai airport, which recently opened, would have become operational only by 2049 without PRAGATI’s intervention.

Of the 7,156 resolved issues, 35% involved land acquisition, 20% related to forest, wildlife, and environmental clearances, and 18% concerned right of use or right of way. Other challenges addressed included construction delays, law and order issues, power utility approvals, and financial bottlenecks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally reviewed 382 projects under PRAGATI, resolving 2,958 of the 3,187 issues raised. The mechanism has also been used to review 61 flagship government schemes, including One Nation–One Ration Card, PM Jan Aarogya Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, PM SVANidhi, and Swachh Bharat Mission.

PRAGATI has further addressed citizen grievances across 36 sectors, including COVID-19 management, RERA, banking, insurance, Jan Dhan accounts, and Matru Vandana.

Somanathan explained that the platform, conceptualised by Prime Minister Modi in 2015, was designed to tackle chronic time and cost overruns by addressing three coordination gaps: between central ministries, between the Centre and states, and within state governments. On average, the mechanism resolved one issue every working day.

Asked about land acquisition, a major impediment to project execution, Somanathan said there are no plans to change the existing policy. He added that states are keen to adopt similar mechanisms, with chief secretaries actively cooperating to resolve issues.

Citing the Jammu–Srinagar rail link as the most challenging project, he noted it was approved in March 1994 and finally commissioned on June 6, 2025, underscoring the impact of focused oversight under PRAGATI.