Smart villages should be built on the line of smart cities: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday made a case for building smart villages on the line smart cities.

Speaking at the 42nd Convocation of School of Planning and Architecture, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways said, "In urban areas we are making smart city... why we are not thinking on the line that how we should make smart village.

"So that thing is in my mind. I am also making a smart village. A plot of 1,000 square feet, a house of 500 square feet in Rs 5 lakh... and for entire life the electricity and water are free," the minister said.

He further said that knowledge is very important and added that the conversion of knowledge into wealth is the future of the country.

The educated manpower, he said, will play a major role in the prime minister's vision of making India a 5 trillion-dollar economy and self-reliant.

"I always say that in every profession knowledge is very important. Besides, the presence of mind and experience are equally important," he said.

"It is important to be a good architect... So knowledge in your subject is not sufficient. The decision making capability, human relations, presentation are equally important," he explained.

Ecology, economy and environment are the three important pillars of our society, he said, adding, "we have to protect ecology and environment but we have to also do development in the country. And between both there should be cooperation, coordination and communication.