Page 19 - Nitin Gadkari

'Savarkar was social reformer, unfortunate that chapter on him dropped'

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar was a social reformer and patriot, and it was unfortunate that chapters on him and RSS founder K B Hedgewar were being removed from school syllabus. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was speaking at the launch of the book "Veer Savarkar" here on Saturday. It was unfortunate that a person (Savarkar) and his family who gave everything for the country had to face insults, Gadkari said. Savarkar had said Hindutva is all inclusive and free from casteism and communalism, the minister pointed out. "Savarkar was a social reformer, and he is a role model for us," he said. Without naming anyone, Gadkari said it was very unfortunate that chapters on Dr Hedgewar and Savarkar were being removed from school syllabus, and "there is nothing as painful as this." The Congress government in Karnataka recently kicked up a row by removing chapters on Savarkar and Hedgewar from school textbooks. Gadkari recalled that w

Would rather jump into well than join Congress: Gadkari recalls old advice

Union minister and BJP veteran Nitin Gadkari has said that a politician once advised him to join the Congress, to which he replied that he would rather die by jumping into a well than becoming a member of that party. The Minister of Road Transport and Highways also claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government carried out twice the amount of work in the country in the last nine years as compared to what the Congress did in the 60 years of its rule. Addressing a gathering in Maharashtra's Bhandara on Friday to mark completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government, Gadkari recalled his initial days of working for the BJP and talked about the party's journey. He also recalled the advice once given by late Congress leader Shrikant Jichkar. "Jichkar once told me - 'You are a very good party worker and leader, and if you join the Congress, you will have a bright future'. But I told him that I would rather jump into a well than join the Congress because I have strong ..

Gadkari lays foundation stone for 10 NH projects over Rs 8,000 cr in UP

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday laid the foundation stone for 5 NH projects worth Rs 2,200 crore in the Pratapgarh region and 5 NH projects at a valuation of Rs 6,215 crore in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, according to an official statement. Gadkari said that with the widening of 43 km of National Highway 330 from Pratapgarh to Sultanpur being constructed for Rs 1,290 crore, the travel time from Prayagraj to Pratapgarh via Ayodhya will be reduced. According to the statement, the road transport and highways minister said the work of construction of the proposed 14 km bypass in Pratapgarh at a cost of Rs 309 crore will also start soon. He said road safety work will be done on National Highway 31 at Rs 27 crore for street lights and bus shelters, among others. The construction of the Pratapgarh-Musafirkhana section will accelerate the development of the cement plant, gas plant, bottling plant and dairy milk factory industries, the statement said, adding that all these .

Gadkari lays foundation stone for NH projects worth Rs 8,000 crore in UP

Five of these projects are worth Rs 2,200 crore and will be constructed in Pratapgarh, while the other five projects are worth Rs 6,215 crore and are located in Deoria

India cannot achieve target to cut 50% road accidents by 2024: Gadkari

India will not be able to achieve the target of reducing road accidents by 50 per cent before 2024 due to many shortcomings on the part of the government and other people, who compromise with road safety standards, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. He pointed out that more people die in road accidents than in street fights, riots or terrorist attacks. "We had said that we will reduce the number of road accidents by 50 per cent before 2024. But we could not do (reduce) much. We could not do it because we have certain shortcomings and there are other people who are not doing their bit," Gadkari said while addressing a public function here. Stressing the need for improvement in road engineering, he said, "People who prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) are not doing their job properly. Their mindset is that there should be saving (reduce) on the cost". They compromise with road safety standards while preparing DPR to reduce the cost of construction and deliberately don'

Govt to build 25 km highway in Nagaland to improve northeast connectivity

The government is building a 25-km two-lane highway project in Nagaland to improve connectivity to northeastern states, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. "We are currently undertaking the development of a 25 km two-lane highway with hard shoulders, spanning from Chakabama to Zunheboto, as part of package-3," the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways said. The main aim of this project is to bolster connectivity with neighbouring states in the northeast region, offering efficient, sustainable and economical transportation options for all commuters. In a separate statement, the minister said the government is engaged in the four-laning of the Sinnar-Shirdi section of NH-160, including the construction of the Sinnar Bypass, in Maharashtra. The work is part of the Bharatmala Pariyojna, he said. "This transformative project holds immense social significance, as it will serve as a dedicated route, or 'Marg,' for Sai Baba devotees making their pilgrimage to Shirdi on

NHAI releases first sustainability report on environmental responsibility

NHAI's sustainability efforts have yielded positive results in terms of environmental and energy conservation

India can reduce pollution by 40% by not using fossil fuels: Gadkari

India can reduce its pollution by over 40 per cent by not using fossil fuels like petrol and diesel, while the country imports crude oil worth Rs 16 lakh crore every year, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. "We can reduce 40 per cent pollution by not using fossil fuels like petrol and diesel," Gadkari said addressing Green Urja Conclave organised by Confederation of Renewable Energy Service Professionals and Industries (CRESPAI) in association with IIT-Delhi, IIT-Ropar and University of Delhi here. He said,"We import fossil fuels worth Rs 16 lakh crore every year. It poses a big economic challenge for us. It also causes pollution. Besides, we also import coal worth Rs 12 lakh crore. We need to reduce our new technologies and improvise those also." He emphasised on the importance of institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) for bringing new technology for promoting clean and green energy. He opined that the new technology should be need based, economically viable and th

Mother Dairy to invest Rs 400 cr to set up unit in Nagpur: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said Mother Dairy will invest Rs 400 crore in Nagpur in a project for which the government will give 10 hectares of land. Speaking to reporters to highlight achievements in nine years of the Narendra Modi government, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Nagpur Lok Sabha MP said dairy products from the proposed unit will be supplied across the country. "The company is going to procure 30 lakh litres of milk daily from farmers. It will benefit farmers of Nagpur and other districts of Vidarbha," he said. Mother Dairy is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and was commissioned in 1974 as part of Operation Flood. Queried on employment generation in the region, Gadkari said 68,000 persons had got jobs in MIHAN, which is home to several firms, adding employment had risen in the government as well as private sectors.

India will become world's largest automobile market in 5 years: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday expressed confidence that India will become the largest automobile market in the world in the next five years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Union minister for road transport and highways was addressing a gathering in Vapi town of Gujarat's Valsad district after inaugurating 'Rajju Shroff ROFEL University' campus. "At present, the size of the Indian automobile industry is Rs 7.5 lakh crore. The industry has so far created 4.5 crore jobs, and it pays the maximum Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the Central and state governments," Gadkari said. India was previously at fourth position in the world (automobile market) after Japan, the US and China, but recently the country surpassed Japan to become No. 3, he said. "And, I am confident that within five years, thanks to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will be No.1 and the size of the industry will be Rs 15 lakh crore," the minister said. Given the qualif

Gadkari stresses on importance of DPRs to minimise delays, reduce cost

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised the importance of accurate preparation of detailed project report (DPR) to minimise project delays, reduce cost of construction, and implement proper road alignment, according to an official statement. The road transport and highways minister chaired a meeting with NHAI officials in New Delhi and discussed various aspects of National Highway development. "The meeting encompassed discussions on enhancing work efficiency, resolving obstacles and adopting innovative technology," the statement said. Gadkari also launched two Mobile Apps focusing on enhancing efficiency and providing ease of commuting' on the National Highways. The mobile applications inaugurated included RajmargYatra', a citizen centric Mobile Application with in-built complaint redressal system and NHAI One', mobile app to facilitate most of the crucial onsite requirements in execution of National Highway Projects, the statement said. Stressing on providing ...

Threat calls to Gadkari: NIA team leaves from Nagpur with case documents

The National Investigation Agency which probed the threat calls made to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has left for Mumbai after taking case documents from the Nagpur police, an official said on Saturday. The NIA team had arrived in Nagpur on Thursday to probe the case, for which a murder convict lodged in a Karnataka jail has been held, an official said. Jayesh Pujari alias Kantha is accused of making the calls from a jail in Belgaum in neighbouring Karnataka, as per police. On January 14, he demanded Rs 100 crore from Gadkari claiming to be a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, while he made a second call seeking Rs 10 crore on March 21. He was brought to Nagpur on March 28 after police invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). "The NIA team left for Mumbai on Friday. They have taken investigation reports and have asked us to prepare some documents related to the case," the Nagpur police station official said. A police probe found he had links to Lashkar-e-T

NIA team visits Nitin Gadkari's Nagpur office after threat call to minister

A team from the NIA visited the Nagpur office of Union minister Nitin Gadkari in connection with the case of a threat call which was allegedly made by a murder convict to the minister's office

Transport sector accounts for 40% of pollution, need greener fuel: Gadkari

Addressing the GH2 summit in Mumbai, the minister urged the industry to develop greener fuel alternatives to tackle the problem

Highway contractors to convert bank guarantees into surety bonds: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said the finance ministry has agreed to allow contractors engaged by state-owned NHAI and NHIDCL to convert their bank guarantees into insurance surety bonds. Gadkari had recently said changes will be made to the surety bond offering to make it more lucrative as no contractor is buying it because of the strict conditions imposed by insurance regulator Irdai. "I conveyed to the road transport secretary that he should talk to the finance secretary once to give it (allowing conversion of bank guarantee to surety bonds) from retrospective effect. "In NHAI, in the road ministry and NHIDCL whatever bank guarantees are there, if they want, they can convert them into insurance surety bonds. Permission should be given for this," Gadkari said on Wednesday at an event organised by the National Highways Authority of India. Last year in December, Gadkari launched the country's first-ever surety bond insurance product with an aim to reduce the dependence on ...

Govt aims to reduce logistics cost to 9% of GDP: Nitin Gadkari at CII event

The government is going by certain estimates which suggest that logistics cost in India is in double digits

Highway contracts: Retrospective booster to put surety bonds in fast lane

The Centre is also trying to push banks towards adopting the e-bank guarantee framework, in a bid to eliminate cases of fraud guarantees

Govt committed to boost tourism, infrastructure development: Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari further announced plans for the Sky Bus service, connecting Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to Gurugram in Haryana, which will alleviate traffic congestion for the commuters

'Changes to be made in surety bond offering for making it more lucrative'

Road, transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that changes will be made to the surety bond offering to make it more lucrative as no contractor is buying it because of the strict conditions imposed by insurance regulator Irdai. Last year in December, Gadkari launched the country's first-ever surety bond insurance product, with an aim to reduce the dependence on infra developers of bank guarantees. "Don't impose such conditions that nobody is able to take benefit of the scheme...It took 3 years to come out with surety bonds and when it has been finally launched, no contractor is buying it," Gadkari said at an event organised by CareEdge Ratings. The product, from the stable of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, has been developed in response to a demand identified by the industry and the government. "Changes will be made to surety bond offering to make it more lucrative," he added. The Surety Bond Insurance is a risk transfer tool for the principal and shields th

Rajasthan's roads will be like those in US by 2024: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that by the end of 2024, the roads of Rajasthan will be like those in the United States, making it a happy and prosperous state. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also said it is the aim of everyone at the Centre to make the country's villages happy and prosperous. Gadkari said this while addressing the gathering at a foundation stone-laying programme of various development works at Pakka Sarna village in Hanumangarh district. He said he often repeats the words of former US president John F Kennedy, who said, "America's roads are good not because America is rich. America is rich because of its good roads." "I promise you that by the end of 2024, Rajasthan's roads will be made at par with those of America's. Due to these roads, Rajasthan will also become a happy and prosperous state," Gadkari said. He said when governments change, the society should also change. "There should be freedom from pover