Tap J'Khand resources via industry to make it rich: Gadkari

Harnessing of its natural resources through industrial development will make Jharkhand a rich state with rich population, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
He also said that over the next couple of years the state will see investments of Rs 55,000 crore in the highways sector.
"Our country imports natural resources worth USD 800 billion while Jharkhand is endowed with rich natural resources. If we harness these setting up Industries, Jharkhand is set to become a rich state with rich people," said the Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister.
Addressing the Momentum Jharkhand Global Investors' Summit here, he said the Centre is committed to the development of the state and it has already increased the length of National Highways from 2,402 Km to 5,400 km.

"In the next two-and-a-half years Jharkhand will see investment of Rs 55,000 crore in the highways sector that includes work worth Rs 5,000 crore being undertaken to construct 600 km of highways," he said.
Given the problems faced on Ranchi-Jamshedpur road, NHAI will ensure its completion by way of works worth Rs 1,000 crore, he added.

Gadkari said equal stress will also be given to augmenting waterways infrastructure in the state and the government is already working on National Waterway No 1.
Fifty km of the river length of the 1,620 km Ganga- Bhagirathi-Hoogly stretch falls under Sahebganj in Jharkhand where a multi-modal hub is being built at a cost of Rs 290 crore, he said.

By reducing transport cost through promotion of waterways, Jharkhand will see prices of the edible oil come down by up to Rs 2 a litre soon, he said.