Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
A go-getter in the Modi Cabinet, Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari in his second innings has lined up big plans — from infusing Rs 15 lakh crore in highways to propelling GDP growth by globalising khadi and MSME products.
After taking charge of the Road Transport and Highways and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) ministry, Gadkari said the mission was to further propel the country’s economic growth through concerted efforts be it in highways or MSMEs.
“The blueprint for highways is already in place. We plan to take up work worth at least Rs 15 lakh crore in highways that includes building 22 green expressways, rolling out all stuck projects in the next 100 days and creating a ‘grid of roads’ on a par with the power grid,” Gadkari told PTI in an interview.
The minister said the priority for him would be “rolling out all stuck highway projects that include many of the IL&FS projects within 100 days”. “I reviewed projects and found out about 225 projects were pending for financial closure etc, which has been resolved and now only about 20-25 projects are left. This is a priority area and the pending projects will be zero within 100 days.”
He said credit goes to his ministry for saving banks over Rs 3 lakh crore from turning NPAs during his earlier tenure, as there were 403 stuck projects when he had taken charge in 2014. “The bidders were shying away… The highways sector had collapsed… Now, it has been brought on track… the aim is to further strengthen this. Around 13 of the 17 highways in the border areas are nearing completion.”
He said the task ahead was minimising accidents and in addition to about 704 black spots, another 8,000 have been identified and will be fixed soon. The ministry is also striving to get the entire toll income which at present goes to the government kitty, so that it could be pumped in highway building, he said. Build, operate and toll mode of highways building was being revived and projects for 3,000 km would be bid out.
About his new ministry — MSME, the BJP leader said his endeavour would be to globalise MSME and khadi products through joint ventures and he was keen on mass-scale honey production besides promoting products such as Moringa.
The focus will be on rural areas, forming clusters of potters, leather industries and giving them assistance with new technology aimed at promoting exports, he said. “Small-scale industries will be promoted and the plan is to make the coir industry a Rs 20,000-crore economy from Rs 10,000 crore. “I am confident that these will create jobs and propel growth which will apparently be visible in two to three years.” — PTI
Plan to build 40 km road a day: Gadkari
“I am ‘satisfied’ with the work done in the highway sector in five years with ‘no instance of corruption’. The roadmap is to take the highway building target to 40 km a day from the present 32 km per day.” Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport & Highways and MSME Minister
