Indian railways 1st Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal’ (GCT) commissioned in Asansol division of Indian railway.

Why in news?

• Under the Prime Minister’s GatiShakti initiative,and the Ministry of Railways policy on ‘Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal’ (GCT) , the Asansol Division of Eastern Railway commissioned private siding of Maithan Power at Thaparnagar, Jharkhand.
• This is the first such GCT commissioned by Indian Railways since publication of GCT policy in December 2021.
• In 2009 the Maithan Power Project was started in Jharkhand and the power generation was started in 2011.
• Till now the requirement of coal to the power project was being made through a road which is expected to convert into 120 inward coal rakes per month.
• The new power project will increase the earnings of Indian Railways upto Rs 11 crore per month.

About Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti-

• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched the GatiShakti initiative in 2021.
• It is Rs. 100 lakh crore ‘National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity’ project.
• Gati Shakti is a digital platform collaborating 16 Central Ministries and Departments to implement infrastructure connectivity projects.