CAG to table report on multi-modal transport initiatives
The Railways has emerged as a key player in the country’s logistics reform.
Unlock Exclusive Insights with The Tribune Premium
Take your experience further with Premium access. Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only Benefits
Advertisement
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) will table its report on Multi-Modal Transport and Logistics initiatives, being prepared in consultation with the IIM, Mumbai, in Parliament during the next monsoon session. The study examines efforts to integrate rail, road, port and shipping networks under the PM Gati Shakti framework.
To oversee the audit, the CAG has constituted an Integrated Audit Group to coordinate work across audit verticals covering Railways, infrastructure, ports, shipping and waterways. “The idea is to view the transport and logistics chain holistically and not as isolated segments,” said Additional Deputy Auditor General (Railways) Pravir Pandey.
Advertisement
The Railways has emerged as a key player in the country’s logistics reform. Under the National Rail Plan-2030, it aims to increase its freight modal share to 45 per cent and raise the average speed of freight trains to 50 kmph, while creating capacity ahead of demand till 2050. A 2025 study pegged logistics costs at 7.97 per cent of the GDP in FY 2023–24, but at a steep 16.9 per cent for the MSME sector. “Reducing logistics costs is critical to India’s competitiveness, and multimodal integration is central to that,” Pandey noted.
Advertisement
Advertisement