NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is moving swiftly to build multimodal logistic parks (MMLPs) envisaged under the Centre’s flagship highways development plan, Bharatmala.
The authority is in the process of setting up a separate entity under it that will look after the multimodal logistics parks and port connectivity projects, a senior government official, aware of the developments said recently. The new company will build multimodal logistic parks and 1100 kilometres of port roads.
“It will be a kind of special purpose vehicle, which will specifically look after these projects,” the official said. An existing firm named Cochin Port Road company limited is being rechristened National Highways Logistics Management Company Limited, and will be handed over the mandate.
“We are looking for a CEO for the company,” the official said.
Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, last month laid the foundation stone for India’s first multi-modal logistics park at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district of Assam virtually.
Among other MMLPs in advanced stages are those to be built in Chennai, Nagpur and Surat. The state government of Karnataka has also agreed to provide land for a MMLP to be built in Bengaluru, the official said.
