Speaking at the Moneycontrol Policy Next event in Delhi, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that the quality of road infrastructure remains a concern in India and that he will start rating road contractors based on their performance. "Performance audit is more important than a financial audit," he added.
India seeks to boost its road infrastructure to the standard seen in the world’s largest economy, while also pushing economic growth, according to Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways.
“There are problems. A strong political will is very important,” Gadkari said at the inaugural MoneyControl Policy Next - The Rs 10 Trillion Infra Push summit in New Delhi. “Where there is a will, there is a way. I like people who get things done.”
The central government should consider the integration of all transport departments under one entity in order to address all issues related to cargo movement and logistics in India, Vijay Chhibber, former secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India said.
Speaking at the Moneycontrol Policy Next event in Delhi, the Director General, of Energy Power Transmission said that despite the efforts taken by the central government in the last few years to develop physical and digital infrastructure in the logistics industry in India, the implementation on the ground has not seen a massive transformation. Take a look at the panel's key insights and ideas, here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it very clear that the short-term political agenda won’t interfere with India's infrastructure development, which is the key to making the economy grow at a rate of nearly 8 percent, Rajiv Kumar, the former vice chairman of Niti Aayog, said at the inaugural Moneycontrol Policy Next event in New Delhi. Read in detail, here
"If you compare, our government's work with that of the previous government, you will realise we have done more in 10 years in comparison to what they did in 50-60 years. The economy is growing."
- Our performance on road safety is not up to themark.
- Road and automobile engineering needto improve. Roads are being audited for black spots.
- A number of DPRs for road projects are below safety standards.
- Our policies enable fixing problems first, then commencing work. Hence, all work going smoothly.
- Have several companies like L&T working in the infrastructure sector.
- Focus is on fast-tracking infra development.
- Working on encouraging public transportation.
- Will fine people whopark vehicles outside houses.
- Works worth Rs 1,300 crore have been approved for the Delhi-Jaipur Highway, but are stuck due to Delhi HC stay.
- Concerned about pollution. Have to get our work done and protect the environment; transplanted 12,000 trees while making Dwaraka expressway.
- Cannot form a sudden opinion on Joshimath incident. Joshimath has a lot of encroachment and no drainage system. However, we await the report on it. The enquiry is underway, and will comply with whatever is in the report.
- Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway does have some problems. But we will shortly fix it.
- Panipat’s peripheral road will reduce Delhi’s pollution by half.
- Will be able to go to Jaipur, and other highways via the Dwarka expressway.
- Have made a new four-lane bridge in Goa with a focus on quality.
- I always go to review all projects, and have made quality controls stricter
- Performance audit is more important than a financial audit.
- There are some people who convert problems into opportunities and some who convert opportunities into problems (Gadkari on how the government is handling problems while building infrastructure).
- Strong political will is important for the implementation of projects on the ground.
- Hydrogen is the fuel for the future. Hydrogen via electrolyzer is costly. It can be made by using solar power.
- Lot of experiments are going on around hydrogen.
- Importing 1,200 tonnes of lithium every year. J&K find will help.
- We are looking to extract Lithium in J&K as early as possible.
- India has the potential to become an auto manufacturing hub.
- Need to promote modern public transport.
- Waterway is very important for the future. It is cost-efficient. Logistics cost in the waterway is less. Engines for this can run on alternative fuels.
- Delhi-Mumbai express highway 60 percent work is completed.
- Working on many green highways.
- New road connectivity will change transportation from the capital.
- By the end of the year Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi- Dehradun flights will be closed because of our efficient highways.
- Two-wheeler manufacturers already exporting 50 percent of production.
- Methanol can be a good alternative to diesel.
- We have given the approval to produce ethanol from dry rice, corn, and sugarcane.
- Hydrogen is the future, can make it using wastewater, and organic waste.
- A vision for futuristic development is important.
- We need to develop our economy in rural, agricultural, and tribal areas.
- Infra industry is giving maximum GST to state and central government.
