Bringing heft to Modi's govt, Nitin Gadkari's challenges are manifold

Recognising his capacity to crack the whip, PM Modi has invited him back in the government

Twenty years ago, as PWD minister in Maharashtra, Nitin Jairam Gadkari proposed a 95-km road between Mumbai and Pune. A global tender was floated, which was won by the Reliance group under Dhirubhai Ambani. 

But Gadkari thought the expressway could be made at a lower cost. He started the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) with a grant of Rs 10 crore from the state government. He raised another Rs 4,000 crore from the market through bonds and used the money to build the expressway for Rs 1,600 crore.
 

The money was also used to build 55 flyovers across Mumbai in less than 18 months. A total work of more than Rs 8,000 crore was given by him to different contractors in his tenure as the PWD minister.

Now, as a minister the Union Cabinet, his challenges are manifold. His tenure as Union minister for highways, ports and Ganga rejuvenation was a mixed bag. While he is known as a performing minister and was able to revive some private sector investment in highways through hybrid annuity and toll-operate-transfer models, he was unable to give the promised life to the Ganga despite huge budgetary support.

But recognising his capacity to crack the whip, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited him back in the government. 

Gadkari was frank in voicing his disagreement with some initiatives taken by the previous government, including demonetisation. That he has been included in the government despite this, suggests Modi wants a figure in the government who is seen as senior enough to critique its decisions. 

Sixty-two-year-old Gadkari’s stint as party president gives him that stature, even though he had to quit the job under a cloud mainly cast by his rivals — allegations of conflict of interest in his business dealings relating to his retail venture, Poorti Supermarkets.

Combining both educational degrees of bachelors in commerce and law and ground experience of an RSS worker, Gadkari brings heft to the Modi government.