Page 491 - ES 2020-21_Volume-1-2 [28-01-21]

118 Economic Survey 2020-21 Volume 2

3.44 Some process related reforms which have contributed towards improving logistics efficiency
are reduction in waiting time for inter-state border crossing due to GST, revision in axle load
norms for heavy vehicles leading to better carrying capacity, introduction of paperless EXIM
trade process through E-Sanchit, faceless assessment by ‘Turant Customs’ by Central Board
of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), installation of scanners at major ports, implementation
of Port Community System 1X at all important ports, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tagging of all EXIM containers for track and trace, mandatory electronic toll collection system
(FASTag) for reducing time loss at time toll plaza, etc.

3.45 Some Infrastructure Initiatives which are at various stages of implementation are:
a. Bharatmala Pariyojana is a new umbrella program for the highways sector that
envisages building more than 80,000 Km of roads, highways, greenfield expressways,
bridges with an investment of around US$ 107 billion.
b. Sagarmala aims at Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity
Enhancement, Port-linked Industrialization, Coastal Community Development
and giving impetus to Coastal Shipping. 508 projects have been identified and 111
waterways have been declared National waterways, for which the work is ongoing in
phases.
c. Multi-Modal Logistics Parks shall act as hubs for freight movement enabling freight
aggregation, distribution and multi-modal transportation. They would provide modern
mechanized warehousing space and value-added services such as customs clearance
with bonded storage yards, warehousing management services, etc.
d. Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) aims at reduction in unit cost of transportation
with higher speed of freight trains and better turnaround of wagons. Around 70 per cent
of freight is expected to shift to DFC, freeing up capacity on Indian Railways.
e. Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) aims to assist creation of appropriate
infrastructure for growth of exports from the States.
3.46 Some Digital/Technological Initiatives that are under development are:

a. Logistics Planning and Performance Monitoring Tool (LPPT) shall allow real-time
monitoring of operational performance and asset utilization of various logistics
infrastructure such as ports, airports, various corridors comprising national and state
highways, Inland Container Depots (ICDs), etc.
b. India Logistics Platform (iLOG) - Several IT-based solutions have been deployed by
government over the years such as Indian Customs EDI Gateway (ICEGATE) and Single
Window Interface for Trade (SWIFT) developed for trade facilitation; Port Community
System (PCS) for cargo handling at seaports; Freight Operations Information System
(FOIS) by Indian Railways and VAHAN (National Vehicle Registration System) by
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. However, each system owner has adopted
a different approach, leaving critical gaps that require manual or offline processing
at various stages. Therefore, a comprehensive platform iLOG is being developed for
integrating all logistics related digital portals.