Cabinet Approves Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority to Strengthen Multimodal Infrastructure Planning

The move is intended to address long-standing challenges arising from fragmented planning and implementation across different transport ministries and government agencies.

According to an official statement, ITLA will serve as a national-level institution for transport and logistics planning, providing policy support, conducting research, appraising projects and monitoring implementation across the sector.

The government expects greater coordination and integration between different modes of transport to improve the efficiency, sustainability and overall effectiveness of infrastructure development.

One of the authority's key responsibilities will be preparing a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of at least 10 years.

The plan will cover major transportation modes, including roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.

ITLA will also review short-term and annual plans prepared by different transport ministries to assess whether they are aligned with the country's longer-term transport strategy.

The government expects this approach to encourage greater integration between different modes of transportation and support the development of multimodal infrastructure.

The authority will also undertake technical appraisals of central government transport and infrastructure projects with estimated costs of Rs 500 crore or more.

Financial appraisal of such projects, however, will continue to be carried out through the existing government mechanisms.

ITLA will further be responsible for monitoring the implementation of infrastructure projects above the Rs 500-crore threshold. It will provide a coordinated platform to identify and address issues that arise during project execution.

Another part of its mandate will be conducting post-implementation impact assessments to evaluate whether completed projects have achieved their intended objectives and to assess their overall effectiveness.

The government expects the new authority to strengthen coordination across the transport ecosystem and support data-driven decision-making, with data analytics forming part of ITLA's approach to planning and policy support.

The establishment of ITLA is aimed at creating a more coordinated framework for transport and logistics planning, with a focus on long-term infrastructure development and improved multimodal connectivity across the country.