Ganga cleaning: People won't blame officials but Modi govt if work is not done, says Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari today said that people would blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not bureaucrats if the Ganga cleaning work was not completed.

The water resources and Ganga rejuvenation minister said he does not like officials who practise red-tapism and that the credibility of bureaucrats takes a beating if they do not work.

Gadkari has in the past too censured bureaucrats for their "negative mindset" and lax attitude.

"I dont like people who are disposed towards red-tapism. The slogan on my table reads: 'I like people who can get things done'. I do not have any objection to your decisions. But people prepare reports for years and no work is done. This is why your credibility has taken a beating," Gadkari said.

Reports that are prepared should be implemented. It's fine if there was no monetary audit, but there should be a performance audit, he said.

"If the work is not completed, no one is going to blame bureaucrats . People are going to say Narendra Modi could not do much and Nitin Gadkari could not do anything," the minister said.

The senior BJP leader said he never interfered in bureaucratic decisions as to who would prepare detailed project reports or who would handle the tendering process, but he only wanted the work should start immediately.

The Namami Gange -- National Mission for Clean Ganga -- is a flagship programme of the Modi government. Gadkari was given the charge of the Ministry of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in September last year.