Gadkari launches innovative IT initiatives for road and highway construction

Three innovative IT initiatives of the ministry of road transport and highways, and developed in house by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) were launched on Monday by road minister Nitin Gadkari.

The three initiatives included ePACE (Projects appraisal and continuing enhancements), an online integrated management information system; INFRACON, the national portal for infrastructure consultancy firms; and an updated version of INAM PRO, a web-based application for infrastructure and material providers.

Gadkari urged all stakeholders to make conscious and active use of innovations and successful best practices from around the world in engineering and construction of roads.

The minister said the government had brought in many policy changes to streamline procedures and ease out road blocks like land acquisition, environment clearances and paucity of funds.

Technological initiatives have also been brought in like the satellite based road asset management system, use of concrete for road construction and electronic toll collection.

All these are aimed at making the road building procedure faster, more transparent and more efficient, he added. Gadkari also released the IT task force report, which has suggested many innovative ways in which IT can be used to make the working of the transport sector more efficient and transparent.

Source : BS Motoring