In a significant move to improve efficiency, transparency, and inter-agency coordination in infrastructure development, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, alongside Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, launched the PRISM-SG (Portal for Rail-Road Inspection & Stages Management – Steel Girders) Portal in New Delhi today.
The PRISM-SG Portal has been created to digitise essential approval and inspection processes related to the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs). It incorporates features such as the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), Welding Procedure Specification Sheet (WPSS), and fabrication stage inspections of steel girders. The portal allows for end-to-end online submission of documents, scrutiny, raising and resolving queries, approvals, scheduling inspections, and uploading inspection reports, photographs, and test results. This is supported by a comprehensive audit trail and real-time monitoring capabilities.
Currently, the construction of ROBs requires multiple approvals from Indian Railways, including the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD), Structural Drawings, QAP, WPSS, and fabrication stage inspections of steel girders. While GAD and Structural Drawings approvals are processed through the RRCAS portal, the other processes related to QAP, WPSS, and fabrication inspections are mainly conducted offline or through physical means. This often results in delays, along with limited real-time tracking and coordination among stakeholders.
The newly launched PRISM-SG Portal addresses these challenges by providing an integrated digital platform that unites all key stakeholders, including Road Owning Departments, Indian Railways, contractors, fabricators, and inspection agencies.
This initiative aims to reduce the approval and inspection timeline from approximately 12 months to about 3 to 4 months, thereby enhancing project efficiency, transparency, and accountability. It will play a crucial role in ensuring the timely completion of ROBs and Railway Bridges, thereby strengthening infrastructure delivery and enhancing connectivity across the country.
