Page 24 - Nitin Gadkari

NHAI starts using steel slag in road construction on trial basis

State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday said it has started using steel slag in road construction on a trial basis in line with the government's 'Waste to Wealth' mission. NHAI in a statement said this initiative will help to address the challenge of shortage of material used in the development of National Highways and could replace natural aggregates, such as sand, gravel, or crushed stone, with the waste material from the steel industry. According to the statement, the authority permitted Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to construct one km long trial patch in the Raigarh district for PQC of the Panvel Indapur section of NH 66 near Mumbai, where 100 per cent natural aggregates were replaced by steel slag derived aggregates. The results from the trial have been encouraging, it said. The statement noted that the use of such material in road construction will make construction more economical and promote the circular economy and resource efficienc

725 road projects facing delays due to rains in some states: Gadkari

As many as 725 road projects of the total 1,801 ongoing projects are running behind the schedule across the country as of February 2023 due to protracted monsoon in many states and above-average rainfall in some states, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. The Road Transport and Highways Minister in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha said additional cost is not incurred in all delayed projects as in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects, as escalation cost is absorbed by the Concessionaire. For other projects, if the delay is attributable to the Project Authority, price escalation is paid as per contract conditions, which may or may not result in additional cost, depending upon the final value of price escalation determined on the actual completion of the project and final settlement of bills, he added. Replying to a separate question, Gadkari said the National Highways Authority of India has planted 344.27 lakh trees from 2016 to February 2023 under the green highways ..

NHAI likely to discontinue fixed toll tax at Delhi-Gurugram Expressway

Currently, for a single journey, a car is charged Rs 80 while a bus or truck pays Rs 235 at the Kherki Dhala tolling booth

Nitin Gadkari flags poor quality of DPRs of road projects as major problem

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday that the bad quality of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) leads to a host of problems including cost escalation in road projects, and he was in the "mood to take a decision to allow international firms to make them." He was speaking at the International Conference on Asian Scenario on Infrastructural Development here. There is a need to reduce the cost of production in road projects, he said. Expressing disappointment over the quality of DPRs in road construction, the minister said he has "never seen a perfect DPR" in his life. The construction industry should work on improving the DPR quality, he said. "I am in the mood to take a decision to allow international companies to make DPRs and giving them priority, though I am not of that opinion, but because of not so good DPRs, lot of problems are being faced. Everywhere there is cost escalation," Gadkari said. He also said that agriculture by-products and biomass should be .

Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to be complete by December end: Nitin Gadkari

The construction work of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will be complete by the end of December this year, reducing the journey time between the two cities to two hours, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said. "Work on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway project will be over by December end and from January 1 next year people will be travelling from Dehradun to Delhi in just two hours," Gadkari said during a visit to Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh on Sunday. A journey from Dehradun to Delhi at present takes around six hours. The union minister who visited the Ashram to take part in a Ganga Aarti along with family said the all-weather road project will make year-round Char Dham Yatra possible. "Char Dham Yatra goes on for six months at present. But, once the all-weather road project is complete, devotees can visit the Himalayan temples throughout the year," he said. Work on the ropeway project in Kedarnath whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendr

'World's first' bamboo crash barrier installed on Maha highway: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said a 200-meter-long bamboo crash barrier has been installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra, which he termed as the "world's first" such exercise. Calling it a "remarkable achievement" for the country and its bamboo sector, he said this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns. In a tweet, Gadkari said, "An extraordinary accomplishment towards achieving #AatmanirbharBharat has been made with the development of the world's first 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier, which has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway." The Minister of Road Transport and Highways said this bamboo crash barrier has been christened as "Bahu Balli". "It underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions, such as the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore, and was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central ...

4-lane highways to connect all AP ports in Rs 20,000 cr: Nitin Gadkari

All ports in Andhra Pradesh will be connected with four-lane highways at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said here on Friday. Speaking at the Global Investors Summit (GIS), Gadkari declared that these port connectivity enhancing roads will be built irrespective of a port being a minor, major port, private or state port. The passing of three industrial corridors, Visakhapatnam - Chennai, Chennai - Bengaluru and Hyderabad - Bengaluru, through the state has been crucial for this decision. Noting that road infrastructure in AP is very important, he said, "I always tell people about the famous statement of American President John Kennedy that American roads are not good because America rich but America is rich because Americans roads are good." Recalling his days as a shipping minister, Gadkari observed that transporting goods between Chhattisgarh and Visakhapatnam used to be a difficult task, and decided to construct Raipur - ...

Gadkari invites Austrian firms to manufacture ropeway, cable car components

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday invited Austrian companies to set up plants for manufacturing ropeways and cable car components and equipment in India. Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, met Austrian delegation led by Ambassador of Republic of Austria to India Katharina Wieser. Gadkari informed the delegation that several ropeways and cable car projects are being executed by India. He appreciated the high quality of ropeways and cable car components and equipment that are being manufactured by Austrian companies and emphasised on collaborations in technology transfer and manufacturing the same in India. In the meeting, views were exchanged on the latest technologies and innovations in the road infrastructure development and green technologies. Representatives from Austrian companies apprised Gadkari about the various innovative technologies and products being manufactured by them. Deliberations also took place about other potential areas of collaboration

Govt working to make India a global automobile manufacturing hub: Gadkari

The government is working towards making India a global automobile manufacturing hub and the domestic industry is expected to be worth Rs 15 lakh crore in the near term, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. Virtually inaugurating Tata Motor's vehicle scrapping facility in Jaipur, Gadkari said the automobile sector currently contributes to 7.1 per cent of the nation's GDP with the industry size at around Rs 7.8 lakh crore. "The auto sector gives direct and indirect employment to around 4 crore people and this number is expected to grow to 5 crore by 2025. I am working with a target to make India number one global automobile manufacturing hub and to take its size to Rs 15 lakh crore in the near future," he noted. Gadkari noted that the scrappage policy enables removal of older and unfit vehicles and introduction of new lesser polluting vehicles in a phased manner. "It is estimated that the automotive demand generated by the scrapping policy will lead to additional GST revenu

Uttar Pradesh will have America-like road infra by 2024: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said before the end of 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like in the US and the picture of the state will change with development of roads. Gadkari said UP will become the leading state in the country and called upon farmers to become a provider of food as well as energy. Earlier, Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of seven National Highway projects worth Rs 6,500 crore at Chitbadgaon here. "The condition of roads in UP was not good before the year 2014. After the Narendra Modi government came to power, National Highway has increased from 7,643 km to 13,000 km in the state," Gadkari said. "Before the end of the year 2024, Uttar Pradesh will have road infrastructure like in America. The state is growing very fast and its picture will change with the development of roads. The villages and the poor will be happy and prosperous in the state. The youth will also get employment and UP will .

BJP-NDA will win Lok Sabha, Maharashtra Assembly polls in 2024: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance would retain power at the Centre and in Maharashtra in polls next year on the basis of development work done since 2014. Speaking at the ABP Network's Ideas of India Summit here, Gadkari, who is the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, also said the NDA government had instilled a sense of confidence in the people through its development work and good governance. "We will win and once again the BJP and NDA will form the government in both Maharashtra and at the Centre. The good work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will yield good results," Gadkari said. The performance audit is more important than the financial audit, he said, adding the (five-year) performance (of elected representatives) is reviewed by the public at the time of polls. "Our performance is our strength and this is what people expect from us as well. We have instilled confide

Gadkari gives nod to development of Rs 1,293 cr highway project in Andhra

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday approved the development of a 32-kilometre highway from Chandrasekharapuram to Polavaram in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 1,292.65 crore under the Bharatmala project. The six-lane greenfield highway project on the Bengaluru-Vijayawada economic corridor will be developed on hybrid annuity model (HAM), according to an official statement. Under the hybrid annuity model, 40 per cent of the project cost is provided by the government during the construction period and the balance 60 per cent as annuity payments over the operations period along with interest thereon to the concessionaire. "Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari approved Rs 1,292.65 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojana for the development of 32.00 Km long 6-lane access controlled greenfield highway from Chandrasekharapuram to Polavaram on (NH-544G) BengaluruVijayawada Economic Corridor in hybrid annuity mode in Andhra Pradesh," the Ministry of Road ...

Gadkari bats for region-based research for socio-economic change in Maha

Region-based research will bring socio-economic change in society, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday at the 25th convocation ceremony of the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded, some 285 kilometres from here. Stressing that being cultured was as important as getting an education, he cited the modesty of film superstar Amitabh Bachchan who took time out once during a programme to speak with two school students eager to meet him. "I was with Amitabh Bachchan at the time. The way he respected the two school students, I learned from him. Being meritorious and being a good person are equally important. Getting accepted as a good person is greater than any degree," he told the gathering. "Region-based research will bring socio-economic change in society. Socio economic development and change in the lives of the poor must be brought about by education," he asserted. He also told the collegians his plans to become an engineer collapsed after he jumped into the .

Another 90-km stretch doubled, electrified in South Central Railway zone

The South Central Railway (SCR) zone has completed the doubling and electrification works of 90-km stretch between Gooty and Dharmavaram at a cost of Rs 636 crore, resulting in decongesting and enhancing the connectivity to South Indian states. Following the doubling and electrification of railway tracks between Chigicherla and Dharmavaram section, the zone achieved this milestone. "The GootyDharmavaram doubling project is a vital rail link in Andhra Pradesh state and acts as a gateway to South India states. This line serves as one of the important routes connecting both the Telugu states with Bengaluru and beyond," an official was quoted as saying in a press note late on Thursday. The project was executed by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and was totally funded by the Railways. According to the release, the newly doubled and electrified stretch will ease congestion on a saturated but vital section, enabling running of more passenger and freight trains towards ..

Auto component replacement demand estimated to grow 6-8% in FY24: Report

Auto component replacement demand is estimated to grow 6-8 per cent in the next fiscal driven by factors such as the increase in mobility and healthy freight movement, among others, a report stated on Friday. The improvement in demand has resulted in a positive impact on cash flows for aftermarket dealers and garages while the liquidity remains comfortable, credit ratings agency Icra said in the report. Also, there have been relatively minimal issues in the collection of receivables, as per the report. Icra also said that while the medium-term demand prospects are favourable, EV adoption, implementation of scrappage policy, component lifetime elongation, and possible increased use of public transport vis--vis private vehicles could cap the growth. The aftermarket segment constitutes around a fifth of the overall demand and remains a vital cog in the Indian auto component industry, it said. The average age of medium and heavy commercial vehicles had increased to almost 10 years, wh

Phagwara to Rupnagar on NH-344A being executed at Rs 1,367 cr: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the four-lane wide section from Phagwara to Rupnagar on NH-344A is being executed in hybrid annuity mode at a cost of Rs 1,367 crore. Under the hybrid annuity model, the government provides 40 per cent of the project cost to the developer to begin work and the remaining investment is made by the developer. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in a statement said the 4-Lane wide section from Phagwara to Rupnagar on NH-344A developed by NHAI would give a major boost to the road infra in Punjab. The section connects major cities Amritsar - Jalandhar - Chandigarh and extends mobility to Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ropar, and Mohali. The alignment will reduce the travel time between Jalandhar and Chandigarh to almost half and provide direct access to Khatkarkalan, which is the ancestral home of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the minister said.

Centre making roads worth Rs 3 trn in NE to help eradicate poverty: Gadkari

The Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making roads valued at Rs 3 lakh crore in the North East to help eradicate poverty and reduce the suffering of the people, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday. The Union minister for roads, transport and highways said road projects worth over Rs 25,000 crore are being implemented in Meghalaya. Addressing election rallies in South Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills districts, Gadkari said, To eradicate poverty and reduce the suffering of people, we have to make good roads and in NE, the Modi government is making roads worth 3 lakh crore which will be completed by 2024. The minister said that the network of road connectivity in NE has increased by 25 per cent since 2014. National Highway projects worth Rs 4000 crore are going on in 351 projects in NE, he said, listing out a number of projects which are nearing completion and also those which are in the pipeline. Gadkari also named various road projects undertaken i

Delhi, Maha, Haryana, UP have most comprehensive EV policies: Report

Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have the most comprehensive electric vehicle policies with the widest range of parameters, including budget allocations, charging infrastructure and job creation, according to a new study. The study by Climate Trends, 'Analysis Of State Electric Vehicle Policies And Their Impact', assesses the comprehensiveness of EV policies of 26 states and Union territories based on 21 parameters. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Kerala, and Uttarakhand offer between three to seven of the 21 defined parameters in their policies, making them the least comprehensive, it said. Of the 26 states and UTs which have released EV policies over the last five years, 16 of them have been released between 2020 and 2022, it said. None of the eight states -- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Delhi -- that released their policies before October 2020 are on track to meet their targets of EV ...

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passes via backward areas to bring development

The new Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passes through backward areas to give priority to the development of socially, economically and educationally backward districts, Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Sunday. The minister was addressing the inauguration ceremony of the first phase of the highway in Dausa. He also said the government is making every effort to take the road infrastructure of the country to a level at par with America by the end of 2024. "We will try to make India's highways at par with America's," Gadkari said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked about making India self-reliant and especially the infrastructure of international standards, which he has repeatedly put in front of us as a goal. We believe that before the end of 2024, under the guidance of the prime minister, we will try our best to make India's road infrastructure at par with America," the Union minister said. "It was the dream of Prime Minister Modi that development of social

Uttar Pradesh is ideal investment destination: Nitin Gadkari at GIS-2023

Gadkari praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for his efforts to improve the state's agriculture and industry and stated that Yogi Adityanath's vision will change people's perceptions of Uttar Pradesh