Page 9 - Nitin Gadkari

Assembly elections updates: 58.43% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Maharashtra, 68% in Jharkhand

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EC must check irregularities in inclusion of names in voters' list: Gadkari

Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to address issues in the voter enrolment process, citing irregularities in the inclusion of names in the voters' list. The Maharashtra assembly polls were underway from 7 am on Wednesday. Gadkari cast his vote in Nagpur city located in the state's Vidarbha region. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Gadkari said, "Some names of the people who have passed away are still in the voters' list, while names of those who have filled the forms for enrolment are missing. The EC should take serious cognisance of this and review its methods for including names in the voter list." The current system was causing disappointment to many people, he said. "The system is not appropriate, and several people have expressed their disappointment to me. The EC must make the process leak-proof to ensure that all voters have their rightful opportunity to exercise their franchise," he said.

Once operational, water taxis to save time to Navi Mumbai airport: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the proposed water taxi services would enable people to reach the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport from anywhere in Mumbai in 17 minutes, thus effectively reducing the travel time. The Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing a poll rally in Maharashtra's Thane city on Sunday night where he spoke about the government's plans aimed at transforming connectivity and alleviating traffic congestion in Mumbai and Thane. The state assembly polls are scheduled on November 20. The international airport in Navi Mumbai is expected to start operations in March 2025. Gadkari said the proposed water taxi services, once operational, would enable commuters to reach the Navi Mumbai International Airport from any part of Mumbai "in just 17 minutes". The minister said jetties have already been constructed near the airport to support this initiative. "By harnessing the vast sea routes around Mumbai and Thane, we can significantly reduce

Nobody should take Rahul Gandhi seriously, says Union Minister Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that nobody should take Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seriously, and asserted that people of Maharashtra will repose trust in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the November 20 state assembly elections. The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously.. I think people should not take his remarks seriously, Gadkari said in an interview to PTI. On Gandhi's allegations about PM Modi "suffering from memory loss like US President Joe Biden", Gadkari said the Congress leader speaks irresponsibly. Asked about the challenges faced by the Mahayuti alliance after a dismal show during the Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari said, voters were confused (by the opposition) on a large scale during the Lok Sabha polls. A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the senior BJP leader said. There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it, nor allow others ..

Nitin Gadkari backs 'batenge to katenge' call, urges unity against enemies

"This election is being held under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis. All three- and the party high command and the representatives elected after the election

Cong amended Constitution, accuses BJP of planning to change it: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said Congress made amendments to the Constitution when in power, but makes an "emotional pitch" now that the BJP will make changes to it. Speaking at multiple campaign rallies in Wardha district of Vidarbha ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, Gadkari also said the BJP was a party of workers, while the Congress indulges in dynastic politics. "They make an emotional pitch that if the BJP gets 400 seats (in the Lok Sabha), the Constitution will be changed. They lie," he said at Deoli. As per the Supreme Court judgement in the Kesavananda Bharti case, the salient features of the Constitution cannot be changed, said the Union road transport and highways minister. The Congress government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi amended the Constitution, he said. "They changed the Constitution, and they blame us. The Janata Party rectified it. How many times was the Constitution amended during Indira Gandhi's tenure? But the Congre

Had Congress prioritised rural India, we would have less poverty: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday accused the Congress of not prioritising rural India, saying had that been the case, farmers would not be dying by suicide and there would have been less poverty in villages. Addressing a rally at Arvi in Wardha district ahead of the November 20 assembly polls, Gadkari said the BJP is neither a party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor himself but the workers who dedicated their lives to it. He also hailed the contribution of party workers in his political journey. The Nagpur MP recalled his days as a party worker when he would visit the neighbouring Wardha district, in the state's Vidarbha region, on a scooter with a third pillion rider. The region elects 62 of Maharashtra's 288 MLAs. In 75 years of India's history, the Congress never gave priority to the development of the country's rural side. There were no roads in villages or drinking water. Congress never seriously thought of the development of rural India. Had the rural India got ...

Centre plans AI-driven traffic safety, invites foreign investment in infra

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced plans to work with private sector experts on traffic solutions to prevent road accidents, claiming India's road infrastructure will soon surpass the US

Road ministry to double defect liability period for EPC contracts to 10 yrs

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government has decided to double the 'defect liability period' to 10 years for contractors of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. Currently, under EPC projects, the responsibility for maintenance of national highways lies with the government after the defect liability period (5 years) is over. "The quality of roads built under EPC mode is not good. The defect liability period under EPC mode is 5 years... and within 3 years, there are lots of problems on roads," Gadkari said at an event here. The road transport and highways minister noted that the roads built under BOT (build-operate-transfer) or HAM (Hybrid Annuity Model) mode are in good condition because the responsibility of maintenance of roads lies with the contractor and he has to pay the price. "So now we have taken a decision, any road (built) under EPC mode, we will increase the defect liability period to 10 years from 5 years," he said. The minister

Govt okays 50 National Highways projects in Manipur; all you need to know

For the upcoming Annual Plan of FY25, the Ministry has allocated funds for two more National Highway projects worth Rs 1,350 crore, which will cover a further 90 kilometres in the hilly regions

J&K terror attack: Vital infra targeted, Shah pledges action; key updates

The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on workers from a private company at the under-construction Z-Morh tunnel in J&K's Gund area, which connects Gagangeer to Sonamarg in central Kashmir

India's road infrastructure will surpass that of US: Nitin Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday asserted that India's road infrastructure will be better than that of America in the coming time, underscoring that efficient highways, waterways and railways can lower logistics costs and boost the economy. He also took potshots at consultants making detailed project reports (DPR) for roads, saying they prepare this document by sitting at home. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day seminar in Bhopal on Latest emerging trends and technologies in road and bridge construction'. Gadkari recalled that when he was a minister in Maharashtra, he had a quote by former US President John F Kennedy in his office: American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good. The senior BJP leader said his friend Ratan Tata, who died earlier this month, had asked him several times about the quote during his visits to the minister's office. In the .

India's logistics cost will come down to single-digit in two yrs: Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said India's logistics cost will come down to single-digit within the next two years. Addressing an event organised by NITI Aayog, Gadkari said the ministry is constructing several highways and expressways, which will help reduce India's logistics cost. "Within two years, we are going to reduce our logistics cost to 9 per cent," he added. According to quick estimates of the economic think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), logistics cost in India ranged between 7.8 per cent to 8.9 per cent of GDP for the fiscal 2021-22. Gadkari said there is huge potential for India to export alternative fuels and biofuels. He also pointed out that low-quality coal is useful for making methanol. The minister further said he aimed to make the Indian automobile industry number one in the world. Last year, India had overtaken Japan to become the third-largest automobile market in the world, only behind the

Research on 15% ethanol blending in diesel in advanced stages: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that the research around blending 15 per cent ethanol in diesel is in advanced stages, and the government is exploring ways to prioritise it based on sound evidence. Addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Bio Energy Summit 2024, Gadkari further said according to government data, ethanol blending in India has surged from 1.53 per cent in 2014 to 15 per cent in 2024. Spurred by this progress, the government has set an ambitious target of reaching 20 per cent blending in petrol by 2025, the road transport and highways minister said. Gadkari said the progress on building an ethanol ecosystem -- where ethanol pumps can complement ethanol production and launch of vehicles that can run on ethanol are on fast-track in four states -- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. He pointed out that Indian Oil has decided to put 400 ethanol pump stations. "We are meeting automakers as well including Suzuki, Tata, and ...

Soybean yield should be raised to be self-reliant on edible oils: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday underlined the need to increase the per-acre yield of soybeans to achieve self-sufficiency for India in the production of edible oils. He mentioned that the dependence on large-scale imports of palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia can be reduced by promoting soybean cultivation and edible oil production on the domestic front. "There is a great need to increase the per-acre productivity of soybean to make India 'aatmanirbhar' in terms of edible oils. We also need to reduce the cost of cultivation along with this," Gadkari said while addressing the 7th International Soy Conclave in Indore via video conferencing, India imports about 60 per cent of its edible oil requirement. Gadkari said the government was taking various measures through the National Edible Oil Mission to ramp up the production of soybeans which includes the development of improved seeds of this oilseed crop. He expressed confidence that with the joint efforts of the government

Gadkari not afraid to speak if something wrong, says Sharad Pawar

Pawar acknowledged that Gadkari's decision-making process prioritises national benefit over party politics

Timely subsidy payment uncertain as funds needed for Ladki Bahin: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin scheme, introduced to provide financial assistance to women, could affect the timely payment of subsidies in other sectors. Latching onto the BJP leader's comments, the opposition NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) said if those in the government were saying the state's economy is in distress, then it is a matter of concern. Under the state government's flagship 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', married, divorced, and destitute women aged 21-65 will receive Rs 1,500 per month, with the annual family income of beneficiaries capped at Rs 2.5 lakh. The scheme, introduced ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls, is expected to cost the state exchequer Rs 46,000 crore annually. Addressing a public event in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Sunday, Gadkari said, "It is uncertain whether investors will receive their subsidy payment on time, as the government also has to allocate funds for the Ladki Bahin ...

Who was Sant Tukaram, the inspiration behind Pune airport's new name?

The Maharashtra government has approved the proposal to rename Pune International Airport to 'Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Airport' and now awaits the Centre's nod

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates world's tallest bamboo tower in Chhattisgarh

Gadkari urged the state government to formulate a policy encouraging bamboo use, stating that it could improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities in the region

India's logistics cost will come down to single-digits in 5 yrs: Gadkari

India's logistics cost will come down to single-digit within the next five years, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. Addressing the 'Deloitte Government Summit' here, Gadkari said the ministry is constructing several highways and expressways which will help reduce India's logistics cost. "I am confident that within five years our logistics cost will be in single-digit," 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 further said he aimed to make the Indian automobile industry number one in the world. Last year, India had overtaken Japan to become the third-largest automobile market in the world, only behind the US and China, he said. According to him, the size of India's automobile industry rose from Rs 7.5 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 22 la