Will stick to priorities in highways; contribute towards path chosen: Gen VK Singh

Contributing towards the path already chosen for the highways sector and fulfilling targets will be priority for former Army chief Gen Vijay Kumar Singh, who assumed charge as Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Monday.

Singh, who has been retained in the new Union Council of Ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was talking to PTI after taking the charge.

Gen Singh, 68, who retired as Army chief in 2012 has served as MoS for External Affairs in the previous government.

In the last tenure, he has to his credit among others, successful 'Operation Rahat' in war-torn Yemen in 2015 when 4,800 Indians and 1,972 people from other countries were evacuated.

"This ministry is one of those which already has priorities and it has followed the priorities for the last five years. The job cut out now is to ensure that we stick to these priorities and fulfil the targets that we have set for ourselves," Singh told PTI.

He said: "The Minister (Road Transport and Highways Minsiter Nitin Gadkari) has laid down certain things and I will go through those and find out what we can do and how we can make things better and contribute towards the path he has chosen."