Page 11 - Nitin Gadkari

India's highway overhaul: 74 tunnels to transform road infrastructure

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will build 74 new tunnels across India, spanning 273 km, with an estimated cost of Rs 1 trillion

Stainless steel could have prevented Shivaji statue collapse: Nitin Gadkari

Amid the controversy surrounding the Shivaji statue collapse in Maharashtra, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari suggested using stainless steel for coastal roads

Nitin Gadkari backs 51% stake to foreign partners in JV tunnel projects

Nitin Gadkari supported allowing foreign partners to hold up to 51% in tunnel projects, aiming to attract serious bidders and emphasised cost-effective, sustainable solutions

Nitin Gadkari wants states to pitch for GST cut on flex-fuel vehicles

Share of biofuel will be 50% of fossil fuels in five years, says minister

Nitin Gadkari asks state FM's to reduce GST on flex-fuel vehicles to 12%

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said state finance ministers should consider reducing Goods and Services Tax (GST) on flex-fuel vehicles to 12 per cent. Addressing IFGE's India Bio-Energy & Tech Expo, Gadkari also said there is a need to reduce imports of fossil fuels and encourage the use of biofuel. "We need support from the finance ministers of different states. I asked Maharashtra's FM to attend the meeting and propose the reduction of GST on flex-fuel engine cars," he said. Flex-fuel-compatible cars can run on more than one type of fuel and also on a mixture. Typically, a blend of petrol and ethanol or methanol is used. The road transport and highways minister informed that he had requested Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to consider reducing taxes on flex-fuel vehicles. In a separate meeting with the Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, Gadkari suggested him attend a GST meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue. Gadkari als

Buying a new car? Check discounts under the scrappage policy

Ahead of the festive season, several car and commercial vehicle manufacturers have agreed to offer discounts of 1.5-3 per cent on new vehicle purchases when scrapping old vehicles.

Credible media key for democracy's qualitative transformation: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said credible media is important for the qualitative transformation of democracy and socio-economic development of the country. Addressing an event here, Gadkari said every politician expects media support, but the media should support what is good for democracy and the country. He noted that once upon a time, people were only dependent on print media and electronic media, now they are dependent on social media. "In media, what we need is credibility, goodwill...people are expecting information from the media by which they can make the qualitative transformation of our democracy," the minister said. "Socio-economic transformation is the ultimate aim for all of us, for that reason role of the media is very important," he added. "Now everyone is interested in understanding information," he said. Gadkari said that India is the fastest growing economy in the world and its dream is to make India 'Atmanirbhar' and 'USD 5 trillion economy'. Acco

Road accidents claim more lives than wars, militancy, Naxalism: Gadkari

More people have lost their lives in India in road accidents than wars, militancy and Naxalism, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Addressing the sixth Edition of FICCI Road Safety Awards and Conclave 2024, Gadkari further said the number of blackspots is increasing because of bad detailed project reports (DPRs) of road projects. "More people have lost lives in road crashes than wars, militancy and Naxalism," he said. According to Gadkari, India accounts for 5 lakh accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths annually, while 3 lakh people are injured. "This caused a 3 per cent loss to the country's GDP. Like a sacrificial lamb, a driver is blamed for every accident. Let me tell you, and I observe minutely -- often, the road engineering is at fault," he said. The minister emphasised on the need to conduct safety audit of all highways. He also noted that to reduce number of accidents, "we need to follow lane discipline". Gadkari added that the Ministry of

Nitin Gadkari assures expedited construction of Telangana-AP iconic bridge

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured he will expedite the construction of a double-decker cable-stayed iconic bridge between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over the Krishna River, the Telangana government said on Saturday. The assurance came during a meeting with Telangana Tourism and Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao in New Delhi. Gadkari responded positively to Rao's request to fast-track the project and assured him that all necessary procedures would be completed, with tenders set to be launched by September end, an official statement said. The Rs 1,082.56 crore-bridge, connecting Somashila in Telangana and Sangameshwar in Andhra Pradesh, has been pending for two years due to various reasons. Rao, during the meeting, had an extensive discussion on the bridge construction, which falls in the Kollapur constituency, as well as various national highway development projects in the Mahbubnagar district. The bridge is expected to promote environmental

UP govt assures Centre of timely resolution of issues in NH projects

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday assured the Centre of timely resolution of any issues in the execution of national highway projects in the state, an official statement said. At a meeting to review the progress of national highway projects here, the chief minister also said that departmental land will be provided free of charge for the expansion of national highways in Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath also placed a list of requirements related to national highways in the state before Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The chief minister assured the central government that any issues in the implementation of national highways in the state would be resolved in a timely manner and the process of land acquisition and compensation distribution would be completed within the stipulated time. According to the statement, Adityanath underlined that the expansion of national highways will not stop in the state. He told the meeting that in 2017, the st

Logistics cost will be below 9% of GDP by April next year, says Gadkari

India's logistics cost will come down to 9 per cent of GDP by April next year, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. Addressing an event here, Gadkari further said the country's exports will also increase when the logistics cost comes down to single digit. "Our logistics cost now is 16 per cent...It will come down to 9 per cent by April next year," he said. However, according to quick estimates of economic think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the logistics cost in India ranged from 7.8 per cent to 8.9 per cent of GDP in 2021-22. The road transport and highways minister noted that Indian economy needs to create more jobs. While noting that earlier governments did not give enough attention to rural sector, he said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is giving more priority to the agriculture sector. "We need to increase our agriculture growth...We need to increase per capita income in rural areas," Gadkari said. The minister n

Govt to allow 35% bio-bitumen mixing, saving Rs 10,000 cr in forex outflows

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government will allow mixing of lignin up to 35 per cent in petroleum-based bitumen, a large part of which is imported from other countries. Bitumen is a black substance produced through the distillation of crude oil and is widely used for making roads and roofs. "We have the largest road network in the world. 90 per cent of roads are using bituminous layers. Bitumen consumption in 2023-24 was 88 lakh tonnes. In 2024-25 it is expected to be 100 lakh tonnes. 50 per cent of the bitumen is imported. And annual import cost is Rs 25,000-30,000 crore," Gadkari said while replying to questions in Rajya Sabha. The minister said the farmers are now not only producing foodgrains but they have become energy producers. Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, had developed bio-bitumen from paddy straw. The minister expressed concern that there is a problem of air pollution in Delhi

Projects worth Rs 3 trn to be awarded by road ministry in 3 months: Gadkari

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said his ministry will award road contracts worth Rs 3 lakh crore within three months and close the current financial year with contracts worth Rs 5 lakh crore. Addressing an event here, Gadkari said because of the Lok Sabha elections and the model code of conduct, the speed of awarding road projects was slow in the initial months of the current financial year. "I assure you, within three months, we will finalise the (road) contracts more than Rs 3 lakh crore, and our target is to award over Rs 5 lakh crore of (road) contracts by March 2025," he said. Gadkari noted that the road ministry has a lot of road projects in the pipeline, and raising funds for the projects will not be a problem, as NHAI has a very good reputation in the capital market. The minister said NHAI's present toll income is Rs 45,000 crore and in the next two years, it will go up to Rs 1.4 lakh crore. "We are monetising the road assets by which we are

Abolish tax on life, health insurance premiums: Gadkari writes to FM

Gadkari said in his letter that he is writing to the finance minister following a memorandum from the Nagpur Divisional Life Insurance Corporation Employees Union

Please remove GST on life, medical insurance premiums: Nitin Gadkari to FM

In a letter addressed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari requested the removal of 18 per cent GST on life and medical insurance premiums.

NHAI not facing financial crises, pre-paid Rs 15,700 cr bank loan: Gadkari

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is not facing any financial crises and has drawn up a plan to service its debt through improved inflows of toll revenue and asset monetisation, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "NHAI is not facing any financial crises which is evident from the fact that NHAI has pre-paid bank loan to the tune of Rs 15,700 crore through InvIT monetisation proceeds - Rs 6,350 crore in the last financial year and Rs 9,350 crore in July 2024," he added. NHAI's debt stands at Rs 3.35 lakh crore. Gadkari said the government has not mandated NHAI to raise funds since FY2023-24. "Thus, the debt reduction has started," he said. The minister also said that NHAI has drawn up a plan to service its debt through improved inflows of toll revenue and asset monetisation. "The amount raised through the InvIT mode is used exclusively for debt repayment," Gadkari ...

CM Naidu demands announcement of BPCL refinery for Andhra in Budget

In his meeting with Nitin Gadkari, Naidu sought support for construction of the Outer Ring Road project in Amaravati, widening of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and support for other road projects

CM Naidu scheduled to meet PM Modi, likely to discuss funds for Amaravati

Sources in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) underlined that it was Naidu's first visit to the national capital after taking oath as the Andhra chief minister last month

Cong MP Gaurav Gogoi urges Gadkari to complete work on highway in Jorhat

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to intervene and take immediate action to complete the Teok-Sivasagar highway in Jorhat as its condition was "deplorable ". In a video appeal from the site of the under-construction highway, Gogoi said the work was delayed by several years and frequent accidents and long traffic jams had become common. The highway falls under Gogoi's Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. The Congress MP said the Teok-Sivasagar highway is an important road in the Jorhat region, critical for boosting connectivity. "Work for several portions of the road has been 'ongoing' for the past several years. The condition of the road is deplorable. From frequent accidents to long traffic jams, this portion is affected with several issues," he said in the video posted on X. Gogoi said several contractors were brought in and left the job midway and multiple work tenders had been issued to no effect. People are facing se

Siddaramaiah to meet PM Modi on June 29 during 3-day visit to Delhi

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 29 during his three-day visit to the national capital to discuss with Union Ministers state projects pending approval from the Centre. "I will be meeting the Road Transport Minister (Nitin Gadkari), also Prime Minister and the Home Minister (Amit Shah). Will also try to meet the Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman). The Home Minister has still not given the time and he might give today. Will also try to meet Railway Minister (Ashwini Vaishnaw) and Jal Shakti Minister (C R Paatil)," he told reporters here. He said the Prime Minister has given an appointment on June 29. The Chief Minister, who is leaving for the national capital today, has convened a meeting of MPs and Union Ministers elected from the state in the national capital this evening to discuss projects related to Karnataka pending Centre's nod. "We will share the list of projects pending at the centr