Road projects in MP to roll out in 4 months: Gadkari

Says the backlog of pending projects related to National Highways in the state will be cleared soon

Stating that National Highways in Madhya Pradesh are the worst in the country, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the Centre will ensure that road projects in the state commence within four months.

"It is a fact that the condition of National Highways in Madhya Pradesh is worst in the country. We got it in that shape as a legacy. State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met me on the issue and we have found a solution to it," Gadkari said addressing a press conference marking 100 days of the NDA government through video- conferencing facility from New Delhi.

"Earlier UPA government discriminated against the state on the issue. The work on the National Highways will begin within four months and the state's good days will come in this regard in two years," he said.

"The backlog of pending projects related to National Highways in the state would be cleared soon," he said.

To a query, he said it was a fact that megastar Amitabh Bachchan had once called him to praise his efforts in making the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.

"Initially I didn't recognise when the caller identified himself as Amitabh Bachchan, but later I realised that it was Amitabh only who praised for constructing a world class expressway," the Minister said.

Referring to the issue of toll roads, Gadkari said if people want to travel on good roads they have to pay toll for it as it is not possible to construct roads just at the cost of exchequer. The government is compelled to take toll to realise the high cost of construction of roads.

The government is taking toll only from four-wheeler owners and commercial vehicles and has exempted smaller ones and also tractors, he said.