PM Modi Reviews ₹30,000 Crore Projects, Takes Stock of Digital Arrest Cases

NEW DELHI, Aug 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reviewed six major infrastructure projects involving an investment of more than ₹30,000 crore across nine states and called for faster execution, stronger coordination and timely delivery of projects to citizens.

The projects, covering the railway, road and power sectors, were discussed during the 53rd meeting of PRAGATI, the government’s ICT enabled platform for proactive governance and monitoring of major development initiatives.

Modi said delays in completing infrastructure works have implications beyond rising costs, as they also defer the economic and public service benefits expected from such projects.

The Prime Minister stressed that large infrastructure initiatives should be monitored from an end to end perspective rather than treating individual sections or packages as separate works. He directed ministries, state governments and implementing agencies to identify bottlenecks early and resolve issues that could affect the commissioning of complete projects.

The review also focused on coordination between different agencies, adherence to approved timelines and the need to accelerate implementation.

Modi urged ministries and states to develop a proactive approach towards project execution, with greater responsibility and ownership at every level. He also suggested examining the feasibility of common utility corridors while planning major transport and infrastructure projects.

According to an official statement, such integrated planning could help reduce duplication and improve the efficiency of infrastructure development.

The Prime Minister underlined that faster implementation must not come at the expense of quality. He called for greater adoption of modern technologies, along with stronger supervision and quality assurance mechanisms throughout the project cycle.

In a post on X, Modi said projects worth ₹30,000 crore across nine states had been reviewed during the PRAGATI session, with the broader objectives of improving connectivity, supporting economic growth, strengthening public services and reducing delays.

The meeting also examined cyber fraud cases, including instances involving so called digital arrest scams. Modi called for sustained efforts to prevent such crimes through awareness, training and education.

He directed authorities to intensify targeted awareness programmes for vulnerable groups, particularly senior citizens and young people. Such campaigns, he said, should explain common methods used by cybercriminals, identify warning signs and promote safer digital practices.

The Prime Minister further emphasised regular capacity building for personnel dealing with cybercrime so they can recognise emerging forms of digital fraud and respond to them promptly.

During the meeting, Modi also reviewed the implementation of AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission. He highlighted the potential of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve the use of agricultural data.

He called for the digital agriculture ecosystem to support decision making across the entire value chain, including input planning, production, processing and other stages.

The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts made by the Centre and states towards developing the AgriStack framework and encouraged authorities to expand its practical use to deliver more effective outcomes for farmers.

The discussions at the PRAGATI meeting therefore covered both physical and digital infrastructure, with emphasis on timely implementation, coordinated governance, technology driven solutions and improved delivery of public services.