Mohandas Pai Committee to submit preliminary report in a month's time: Nitin Gadkari

Committee on roads and ports will see how furthering an e-governance system can help new projects

A 10-member committee, headed by former Infosys Board member Mohandas Pai, set up by the government to lead technology initiatives for roads, highways and ports sectors, will submit its preliminary report within a month, Nitin Gadkari, minister for shipping, road transport and highways, said at an event here on Monday. Speaking at an Assocham event, the minister said, “We have assigned Mohandas Pai the work to see how furthering an e-governance system can lead to good governance in both our departments.”

Gadkari stressed the need for a positive, development-oriented approach and the need to fast-track the decision-making process while maintaining transparency.

“He (Pai) is studying the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), our new corporation for north-east (NHIDCL) and our departments of road transport & highways and shipping to make our work more effective.

The preliminary report should be out in a month's time and we will implement it as per that,” added Gadkari.

Gadkari also announced that a Bill which envisages conversion of 101 important rivers to inland waterways is likely to be passed in the current session of Parliament.

Exhorting the private sector to take the ports and shipping sector seriously, he said, “There is much more economic viability, profit, internal rate of return in this sector. Additionally, the capital cost is much less in inland waterways and shipping and the private industry should take this sector seriously.”