Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, expressed confidence in the Mahayuti alliance’s victory in Maharashtra’s upcoming election on November 20. In a discussion with Hindustan Times’ National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury, during the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gadkari discussed critical issues like infrastructure, environmental policy, and the political landscape of Maharashtra.
Nitin Gadkari
Gadkari highlighted how robust infrastructure attracts capital investment, fostering industrial growth, trade, and business expansion. This development, he noted, drives up per capita income and reduces poverty. Using the reconstruction of the Delhi-Dehradun highway as an example, Gadkari explained that the project increased pilgrim traffic by 2.5 times, spurring the growth of businesses such as taxis, buses, restaurants, and hotels, and creating significant employment opportunities.
In terms of initiatives by his ministry, Gadkari spoke about the launch of 36 green express highways that will reduce travel distances. He mentioned the newly constructed access-controlled green express highway from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, along with upgrades to existing roads to enhance capacity. The other initiative prioritizes biofuel and alternative energy sources over petrol and diesel. Through promoting fuels like ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, bio-LNG, bio-CNG, electric, and hydrogen, Gadkari aims to reduce logistics costs from 14-16% to a single-digit percentage, enhancing India’s competitiveness in the export market.
These efforts, Gadkari believes, will boost India’s exports by 1.5 times and contribute significantly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of transforming India into a $5 trillion economy and the world’s third-largest economy.
Refrence by Hindustan Times
Author: ntndevelopers home
