Nitin Gadkari asks states and UTs to speed up road construction

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked states and Union Territories (UTs) to expedite land acquisitions and utilise funds worth Rs 25,000 crore allocated for the purpose to regain the momentum in road constructions.
 

During a videoconferencing meeting with states and UTs, Gadkari called for urgent action to unblock inter-state truck and lorry traffic for smooth movement of essential goods during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ministry will launch a helpline to resolve transportation issues.
 

Gadkari announced enhancing the national highway construction 2-3 times of the present level. He said ministers should personally monitor the process of decision making to ensure that projects do not become victim of red-tape.

The minister said the actions taken by the states and districts should be in line with health advisories such as maintaining proper distance, wearing masks, use of sanitizers, both by the drivers and cleaners, and also at the dhabas.
 

State transport ministers should explore operationalising app-based two-wheeler taxis, especially in the rural areas, which will assist farming communities. This will also provide new employment opportunities, he said. The states may also try to shift public transport to LNG/CNG, e-vehicles, which will bring considerable savings on fuel bills and help the environment being less/zero polluting fuels.