[sustran] NATIONAL TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.in.com/news/business/fullstory-dr-rakesh-mohan-to-head-a-high-level-national-transport-development-policy-committee-12905539-ea8842c35e91397815e68754c4191016aa82b151-1.html







Press Information Bureau
Government of India

 Monday, February 22, 2010    *Planning Commission* * *

*DR RAKESH MOHAN TO HEAD A HIGH LEVEL NATIONAL TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT POLICY
COMMITTEE *
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      15:23 IST
   The Government of India has set up a High Level National Transport
Development Policy Committee to create a policy environment that encourages
competitive pricing and coordination between alternative modes of transport
in order to provide an integrated and sustainable transport system. The
framework that national governments provide for the transport sector largely
determines the level of cost and efficiency in transport operations.

The Committee will be chaired by Dr. Rakesh Mohan in an honorary capacity,
with the rank of Minister of State. Dr. Mohan is a former Secretary,
Department of Economic Affairs and Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
He has also chaired the Expert Group on Commercialization of Infrastructure
which issued the Indian Infrastructure Report in 1997; and the Expert Group
on Railways which issued the Indian Railways Report in 2002.

The members of the Committee include Secretaries of all the Ministries
associated with the development of transportation along with the leading
experts in the field.

Such long term policy for the country was last delineated by the National
Transport Policy Committee in 1980, which was chaired by the late Shri B.D.
Pande, a former Cabinet Secretary. In order to formulate an integrated
transport policy that also takes account, inter alia, of new technologies
and environmental concerns, it was felt desirable to set up a High Level
Committee which may make appropriate recommendations for consideration of
the government.

An efficient, reliable and safe transport system is vital for fostering
rapid economic growth. Despite significant development of all transportation
modes over the decades, transport capacity has not developed adequately in
the country. This has led to increasing congestion, asset deterioration and
high levels of energy consumption, pollution and accidents. Moreover rural
areas have inadequate connectivity hampering rural economic growth. The
transport system comprises a number of modes like the railways, roads, air
and shipping. The capacity of each mode has to be developed in a balanced
fashion for ensuring harmonious development of the overall transport system
including an appropriate mix between private and public modes of transport
so as to optimize energy consumption and efficiency. Choice of modes is also
influenced by pricing of hydro carbon fuels apart from adequacy and
efficiency of transport services

The full composition of the Committee and its terms of reference are:

*Terms of Reference *

(i) To assess the transport requirements of the economy for the next two
decades in the context of economic, demographic and technological trends at
local, national and global levels.

(ii) To recommend a comprehensive and sustainable policy for meeting the
transport requirements keeping in view the comparative resource cost
advantages of various modes of transport i.e. road, rail, air, shipping and
inland water transport with a special focus on the modes that have developed
less than economically desirable and the need to:

(a) encourage a rational mix of various modes of transport in order to
minimize the overall resource cost to the economy,

(b) ensure balance between the ability of transport to serve economic
development and to conserve energy, protect the environment, promote safety,
and sustain future quality of life,

(c) ensure universal rural connectivity,

(d) address the special problems of remote and difficult areas on the one
hand and of urban and metropolitan areas on the other, and

(e) adopt and evolve suitable technologies for cost effective creation,
economical maintenance and efficient utilization of transport assets.

(iii) To assess the investment requirements of the transport sector and to
identify the roles of state and private sector in meeting these investment
needs and to suggest measures for greater commercial orientation of
transport services. In this context, the Committee should pay particular
attention to reviewing the experience with the PPP approach or suggest ways
of modifying it further.

(iv) To examine the laws, rules and regulations pertaining to various modes
of transport and traffic and to suggest measures for strengthening their
enforcement in the interest of the community and streamlining the procedures
and processes in line with the needs of a fast growing modern economy.

(v) To identify areas where data base needs to be improved in order to
formulate and implement policy measures recommended by the Committee.

(vi) To suggest measures to improve the capacity to evolve and implement
projects.

(vii) To suggest measures for implementing various components of the
recommended policy within a specified time frame.

(viii) To recommend any other measure which the Committee consider relevant
to the items (i) to (vii) above.

The composition of the NTDPC shall be as under:

*Chairman*

Dr. Rakesh Mohan (in Honorary capacity, with status of MoS).

*Members*

1. Chairman, Railway Board

2. Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development

3. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

4. Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation

5. Secretary, Ministry of Shipping

6. Secretary, Department of Financial Services

7. Secretary, Ministry of Coal

8. Secretary, Ministry of Power

9. Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

10. Adviser to Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission

11. *Chairman, RITES*

12. Shri K L Thapar, Chairman, Asian Institute of Transport Development

13. Shri M Ravindra, former Chairman, Railway Board

14. Shri S Sundar, former Secretary, Transport & Shipping

15. Shri DP Gupta, former DG Roads

16. *Professor Dinesh Mohan, IIT Delhi*

17. Shri Bharat Sheth, MD, Great Eastern Shipping

18. Dr Rajiv B Lall, MD, IDFC

19. *Shri Mohandas Pai, Infosys
*
20. Shri Cyrus Guzder, Chairman, AFL Group

21. Senior Consultant (Transport), Planning Commission as Member-Secretary

The Committee will be serviced by the Planning Commission. Shri B.N. Puri,
Senior Consultant (Transport) is Member Secretary of the Committee.