The Union Cabinet approved setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle for the formation of the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), according to a release from the government on Tuesday.
ITLA will be a part of the Commerce Ministry, acting as a body for research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment for transport, logistics projects coming up in India. It is expected to harmonise the planning, appraisal and monitoring of transport projects.
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The logistics body will bring policy research, project planning and appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, and data analytics together under one roof. It will also serve as the apex body for integrated transport and logistics planning in India.
The ITLA will undertake a host of functions such as technical appraisal, where it will appraise the Government of India's infrastructure projects costing over Rs 500 crore to ensure integrated multi-modal planning. It will also prepare a long term transport plan covering roads, railways, ports, aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics, this will be achieved via a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of ten years.
The ITLA will further evaluate short-term sectoral plans (five years or so) and annual plans of transport ministries to ensure consistency and alignment with the National Transport Master Plan and promote multi-modal infrastructure development.
The transport authority body will also monitor transport and infrastructure projects above Rs 500 crore, coordinate issue resolution and assess post-completion impact. The ITLA will build a National Transport Data Repository to integrate GSTN e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan, GPS and urban traffic data and other relevant databases along with carrying out data analytics (e.g. Freight Flow/O-D analytics) for planning, monitoring and impact assessment.
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It will also provide advice with regards to updating the National Logistics Policy, 2022.
Its other functions include capacity building, training, and skilling in the logistics sector and promoting research and innovations in transport and logistics sectors.
"The ITLA will build institutional capacity for research, planning, big data integration, project monitoring, and evaluation, while supporting capacity building and adoption of international best practices," the release said.
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